Fair City Rollers slam 'shameful' unheated plan for Bell's Sports Centre in Perth
Perth's roller derby team has slammed proposals to turn Bell's Sports Centre into an unheated facility as 'shameful'.
Fair City Rollers are demanding the iconic complex is reopened after its closure from flooding severely impacted their club.
A spokesperson for the club said: 'We think that Bell's Sports Centre should be rebuilt as a venue that fully supports its former patrons – not just activities and sports suited to astroturf.
'There is nothing in Perth and Kinross that has the same facilities that Bell's had.
'The alternative venues don't have the same capacity and quality.
'To lose such a sports asset is shameful.
'The value it brings to the community completely outweighs the cost to repair the damage caused by flooding.'
The club say the effect of closing Bell's after it was flooded has been devastating for the team.
They were left unable to train for months and have seen their club shrink substantially.
The team claim the alternative venues they have found at Perth Grammar School and Perth High School have come with issues.
'Before Bell's was closed due to flooding, we were a thriving club with nearly 50 members,' said the spokesperson.
'After Bell's was flooded we were unable to train for nearly four months due to the difficulty finding a suitable hall in Perth that allowed skating.
'Due to the length of time that we were unable to train and without access to Bell's large and well maintained floor space, we have been reduced to fewer than 10 regular attendees.
'This is making it very difficult for us to continue as a club.'
Fair City Rollers has joined a growing number of voices from Perth's sports community calling for Bell's to be returned to its former glory as an indoor sports complex.
A petition to save the venue has reached over 3,700 signatures.
The council propose turning it into an unheated arena with artificial pitches.
The future of the facility touches on the wider plans for a new leisure centre which has been near-universally criticised by residents and sports teams alike.
The spokesperson said: 'Our situation, alongside the general negative effects to other sports that were based at Bell's, highlights the critical need for a versatile, accessible space that serves the diverse sporting community Bell's once supported.
'This need can only be met by repairing and reopening Bell's as soon as possible.'
The club also pointed to their inclusive nature as a benefit they bring to the city's sporting community.
Perth and Kinross Council chief executive Thomas Glen has been questioned on how the proposed unheated facility will impact the elderly, women and players with disabilities.
It's the second time that equality concerns have been raised in 12 months regarding the council and Live Active Leisure and their leisure plans.
'Roller Derby is an inclusive sport, welcoming individuals of all backgrounds and abilities,' said the club spokesperson.
'Our club actively encourages people to return to sport later in life, with most of our members aged between 30 and 55.'
'Perth and Kinross Council should be fighting for the future of Bell's not allowing this amazing asset to be lost.'
The plan, alongside the PH2O project, is set to come back before councillors in June.
A 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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Courier
3 days ago
- The Courier
No health impact assessments done for Perth Thimblerow leisure centre plans
No research has been done on how the reduction in leisure facilities at a new PH2O Thimblerow will impact health and wellbeing in the city. The controversial plans to build a new sports centre without a dedicated leisure pool has been met with near-universal backlash from residents and sports clubs alike. The revelation comes nine months after Perth and Kinross Council chief executive Thomas Glen was probed on the same issue, but still no assessments have been carried out. The council boss was questioned by Independent councillor Colin Stewart at the time. Mr Stewart asked: 'If we reduce the overall sport offering in Perth and Kinross, what assessment have you made of how that aligns with the corporate objective of improving people's health and wellbeing?' In response, Mr Glen said no such assessments had been carried out. 'We haven't done an assessment specifically round around any individual sport, round about the health impacts, we haven't done it for ice, we haven't done it for swimming, we haven't done it for any other sport,' said the chief executive. The latest revelation is the latest in a series of concerns about the lack of studies and consultations carried out by either the council or Live Active Leisure (LAL) in regards to the new leisure plans. The Courier revealed that LAL failed to carry out any consultation in their Equality and Fairness Impact Assessment (EIFA) regarding their plans to remove the gym from Bell's Sports Centre. Leisure bosses also appear to have ignored advice from their own independent consultants to hold a public consultation on the plans. World champion curlers claim their community was 'sidelined' by council officers in talks over the future of the Dewars Centre when they questioned the local authority's usage figures. In February, The Courier revealed that Perth and Kinross Council failed to consult with the board of Live Active Leisure on the plans for Thimblerow. Campaigners have also accused the local authority of conducting a 'misleading' consultation on plans to turn Bell's Sports Centre into an unheated arena with artificial pitches. The future of Perth's leisure facilities is set to go back before councillors again on June 18. The council want to build a watered-down vision of PH2O, incorporating Bell's Sports Centre, and turn the North Inch facility into an unheated arena with artificial pitches. Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN), who represent a dozen sports in the area, are furious at the proposal. Campaigners, including the curlers, swim clubs and former LAL board members, have heavily criticised the plans. The local authority said its Leisure Asset Review – submitted in January 2024, months before the chief executive's comments – looked at all available leisure facilities across Perth and Kinross. 'This includes school halls available for rent which, together with the six-court hall to be included in PH20, will provide adequate and additional space for indoor sport and leisure,' said a council spokesperson. 'We will be introducing a consolidated booking system to make it easier for groups to access these facilities. 'Councillors approved plans to create Thimblerow in September 2024 and will be presented with proposals for additional leisure water options, as they requested, later this month.'
The Courier
23-05-2025
- The Courier
John Swinney admits constituents have expressed Perth leisure concerns to him
First Minister John Swinney has encouraged Perth and Kinross Council to continue engaging with the community on their controversial leisure plans. Speaking to The Courier, Mr Swinney admitted people had raised concerns with him directly regarding the future of Bell's Sports Centre. Sports clubs and residents have lashed out at plans to build a new leisure centre at Thimblerow without a dedicated leisure pool and proposals to turn Bell's into an unheated arena with artificial pitches. More than 6,200 people have signed two petitions against the ideas. Campaigners, including Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network, want Bell's reopened for indoor sports and a leisure pool built at Glover Street. 'I've had people coming to see me with concerns about the proposals at Bell's,' said Mr Swinney. 'I think it's important that the aspirations that they are setting out are properly considered.' The first minister encouraged communication between the factions but admitted money was an issue. Mr Swinney said: 'The council's got to wrestle with very significant financial challenges around any particular project. 'Now what I do know is that the council has engaged substantively with the local community on these questions. 'I would encourage, obviously, that dialogue to carry on. 'But I recognise – I'm the first to recognise because I'm wrestling with it all the time – the challenges and the public finances the council will face because there will be multiple demands that they've got to address.' However, the Perthshire MSP was adamant that quality sport and leisure services provided by the local authority were vital for communities. He said: 'There's got to be good council leisure services. 'It's absolutely vital. 'The health and wellbeing of the population needs a certain amount of active intervention by individuals themselves but they've got to have facilities to use. 'And they've got to be affordable and accessible for members of the public. 'I think councils being active in this whole area of policy is vital for the health and wellbeing for the population.' Perth and Kinross Council has come in for much criticism for their consultation on Bell's which campaigners have slammed as 'misleading'. Equality concerns have also been raised around numerous decisions taken by the local authority and Live Active Leisure regarding their leisure provision over the last 12 months. The future of PH2O, Bell's Sports Centre and Dewars Centre is expected to go before councillors again next month. A spokesperson for the local authority said: 'We have met with the Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network and their proposals will be considered as part of our response to the consultation. 'These plans are also informed by the findings of our Leisure Assets Review, which looked at demand and usage across all our facilities in Perth and Kinross, and the available capital budget.'
The Courier
20-05-2025
- The Courier
Bell's Sports Centre poll results reveal hundreds of Courier readers back heated indoor facility for Perth
Hundreds of Courier readers have voted in favour of reopening Bell's Sports Centre in Perth as a fully heated facility for indoor sports. More than 90% of people who took part in the poll backed this option. The future of the popular North Inch complex has been the cause of much public anger in recent months with the local authority proposing the centre be turned into an unheated arena with artificial pitches. Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN), who represent twelve sporting groups in the area, want the facility reopened as a multi-use indoor sports hall. They have the backing of at least nine national sporting bodies and more than 3,750 people who have signed a petition. The campaigners called Perth and Kinross Council's public consultation on Bell's 'misleading' and raised equality concerns over the proposals. Around 2,000 people responded to the council's consultation with 60% of people voting for an unheated future. However, campaigners argue that the survey was flawed as the local authority did not give an option for Bell's to be reopened as a heated indoor facility. The Courier gave our readers that choice. And the result for the latest survey was a landslide. As can be seen in the graph, 303 respondents (91.27%) voted in favour of reopening Bell's Sports Centre as a heated indoor facility. Only 29 people (8.73%) were against the idea. The Courier made clear in our accompanying debate article the choice between heated and unheated. As well as voting on our poll, readers also left comments on what they wanted for Bell's. Every response bar one was in favour of a heated indoor facility. Louise said: 'It absolutely should be reopened to a heated venue. 'It was a fantastic building and was very much used by the local community and is sorely missed. 'Kids will now be missing out on so many sports because schools can't use the facilities like they once did. 'The council should be ashamed that they made everyone believe the option was closure or an unheated venue.' Posting as Wroebots, a reader said: 'The sports centre should most certainly be reinstated to its full functionality. 'We were playing badminton on a weekly basis, if not at Bell's, then at the campus. 'Now, as people book for the following week on the day they play, it's impossible to get a court in Perth. 'The multitude of team sports and two player sports the centre offered (beyond football) should be readily available to the city.' The future of Bell's, along with the much-maligned PH2O proposal for Thimblerow, is set to go before council again next month. A spokesperson for the local authority said: 'We have met with the Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network and their proposals will be considered as part of our response to the consultation. 'Our plans for Bell's and the new PH20 facility, will, alongside our school estate, cater for sports such as badminton. 'These plans are also informed by the findings of our Leisure Assets Review, which looked at demand and usage across all our facilities in Perth and Kinross, and the available capital budget.'
