Latest news with #LeisureAssetsReview
The Courier
23-05-2025
- Politics
- 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
- Sport
- 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.'
