Yes/No survey results on future of Bell's Sports Centre do not give the full picture say campaigners.
Campaigners fighting to save Perth's iconic Bell's Sports Centre have been angered by a council survey on the building's future use.
They say that while simple yes/no answers were sought to questions — including its conversion into an unheated facility — respondents' comments suggest a broader range of preferences.
The survey, which received 1981 responses, was carried out between mid November 2024 to mid January 2025.
However, the comments only came to light following a Freedom of Information request by campaigners.
The FoI had initially been turned down by PKC.
Survey feedback is to be included in a paper to go before councillors in the coming months to decide the building's future.
Bill Powrie of campaign group Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN) said: 'Having analysed the results of the 1600 comments made by respondents to the council survey, which were only obtained at the second time of asking through an FoI request, it became apparent to me many respondents wanted to qualify their answers.
'For example, many people who voted yes to question five, the unheated option, then went on to make a comment which indicated that they wanted to keep Bell's open for heated indoor sports.
'For a clearer picture of what the public want the question should have been asked if they supported an unheated 3G option or heated for a number of sports.'
The conversion of Bell's into an unheated events space for indoor sports pitches was backed by 1198 survey respondents while 783 disagreed.
One response backing the unheated option, which campaigners say shows the nuanced nature of the results, states: '[I} partially agree.
'I would like to still be able to play badminton there. That being said, I believe the venue can accommodate multiple sports/activities.
'Yes, by all means a footie indoor [pitch] would be useful, but so is badminton, hockey, squash and keeping the sports centres open for school use too. In winter the schools need use of an indoor space for their PE lessons.'
Another response states: 'Having answered 'yes' I think that [the unheated events space] is an appropriate use, but I also think that some form of heating should be available [for] other sports, eg: indoor tennis, badminton, indoor bowling, fitness classes, volleyball and other mass participation events....[this] brings people into the [city] centre to the benefit of the centre and other businesses at a 'slow' time of year.'
Bell's was shut after floodgates were left open in October 2023 causing £2m in damage.
Services — provided by arm's-length PKC external organisation Live Active Leisure (LAL) — were transferred to the Dewars Centre and the school estate in Spring 2024.
The building was listed by Historic Environment Scotland last year and the family of its late Perth architect, John Davidson, are among those backing the campaign to keep it open as a multi-use sports facility.
An online Change.org petition to reopen Bell's as a multi-use indoor sports venue currently has more than 3600 signatures.
Sports club group Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN) - made up of 12 sports and 3500 members – has also set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for an assessment on keeping Bell's open as a heated indoor sports facility catering for a range of sports.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: 'Almost 2,000 people responded to the consultation on the future of Bell's Sports Centre.
'A summary of responses has been provided to councillors and will be used to inform our proposals for the sports centre when they are presented to council in June.'
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