Curling: Ice rink part of new plans for Perth sports centre after concern over Dewars closure
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Eve Muirhead is one of many curling champions to emerge from Perthshire
Perth is set to continue to have a curling facility after councillors requested a costed plan to include an ice rink at a new sports centre.
Perth and Kinross Council wants to close Dewars and two other sites and create one new facility, which was not expected to have a rink. However, officers are to present a plan that does include a rink by August.
Olympic gold medal-winning curler Eve Muirhead expressed "shock" at the closure of Dewars, where she started her career.
And Scottish Curling stated their opposition "to the closure of any ice rink".
Perth and Kinross Council wants to close Dewars and two other sites and create one new facility
The council says Dewars is used mainly for curling and indoor bowling, which only account for 3% of sports use in Perth.
Closing it along with Perth Leisure Pool and the Bell's Sports Centre would allow it to cut costs by creating a centre with a new swimming pool, fitness gym, sports hall, studios and family play activities.
The proposal follows the closure of an ice rink in Ayr last year because of a steep rise in energy prices.