Perth pool and leisure centre saved for one year
- Published
Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre's annual utility costs are about £500,000.
Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre have been saved for one year, after fears they could shut within months due to soaring energy costs.
Live Active Leisure (LAL) board members agreed to use "limited reserves" to keep the facilities open.
The operator said prices on most services would increase by between 10% and 15% - but concession rates would be frozen at current levels.
LAL Chair David Maclehose confirmed that no redundancies would be made.
However, the financial security of the leisure facilities beyond the next year is still uncertain.
Mr Maclehose said using reserves does not completely remove the pressures facing the facilities and it might not be possible to repeat the move next year.
LAL previously proposed cuts including the closure of the leisure centre from July and the pool from September.
The chair thanked locals who reached out to express the importance of the centre, including an 11-year-old girl from Scone who wrote: "There really isn't anything else in Perth which is fun. Where else can I learn to become an Olympic swimmer?"
He urged locals to help support the community facilities.
He said: "Whilst I appreciate these are difficult times, we need your support more than ever, and therefore I would urge anyone who values the provision of our public leisure services to please use your local venue as often as you can.
"Not only is this an investment in yourself and your own physical and mental wellbeing, but it's an investment in your community as every penny spent in one of our venues is reinvested back into the company."
A Perth & Kinross Council spokesman said: "The council recognises the financial challenges faced by all leisure trusts and therefore rejected all proposals to cut Live Active Leisure funding in 2023/24.
"We have also provided an extra £120,000 funding so LAL can maintain rural services."
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- Published7 March 2023
