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The Courier
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Courier
SEAN O'NEIL: Who is new Perth leisure centre actually for?
I have a question for Perth and Kinross Council. Who is the new proposed leisure centre at Thimblerow actually for? The swimmers don't want it. The curlers don't want it. The indoor sports community doesn't want it. Our Olympians don't want it. And the public doesn't want it. Nobody wants this £61 million project. Well, nobody except a handful of councillors and some unelected officers and their boss. This week, the Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN) slammed the council consultation on the future of Bell's Sports Centre as 'misleading'. They are a campaign group representing a dozen local sports groups and backed by nine national sporting bodies. PKCSN want Bell's reopened as an indoor sports venue and are opposed to their inclusion in the PH2O plans which leaves them with less facilities. The council wants to turn Bell's into an unheated arena with artificial pitches. And the campaigners are angry with the council's public consultation as it only offered up one option on the future of Bell's, the unheated one. There was no proposal to reopen Bell's in its previous guise, before it was flooded when the council opted not to close the floodgates on the North Inch despite storm warnings. PKCSN's concern is that people opted for a yes vote as they were afraid it was that or nothing. It's a valid concern when you read some of the comments left on the consultation. I think the consultation led people exactly where the council wanted them to go. The Bell's consultation typifies one of the main issues surrounding this whole PH2O Thimblerow leisure centre fiasco. It doesn't seem like any other options are getting a fair crack at the whip. Questions are being written to suit the answer, not the other way around. In the Bell's consultation, for example, the council had already written a report that the public should only be asked about an unheated future for the facility. Is that really a consultation? When you've already decided the outcome you want the most. It's a slight improvement on having no consultations at all I suppose, which had been the council's and Live Active Leisure's (LAL) modus operandi up until that stage. Then there's car parking. The council's desire is to build their unwanted new leisure centre, with no dedicated leisure pool, on the most popular car park in Perth. This will obviously reduce the number of car parking spaces in the city centre. But hold on a second it won't, because the council are buying Kinnoull Street car park and that totally negates the loss of Thimblerow. The people of Perth will now have the ability to park in a car park they always had the ability to park in. And that's totally how maths works. But wait, there's more. Unfortunately, the council's incredible Kinnoull Street coup hasn't quite offset the loss of Thimblerow spaces enough to justify the depleted numbers at peak shopping times. But that's okay, because there's also now the 1,324 spaces at St Catherine's Retail Park. This is incredible for two reasons and again shows how information is presented to suit the answer and not the question. The council do not own the car park at St Catherine's Retail Park. So on one hand, the loss of Thimblerow doesn't matter because the council are replacing it with a car park that already exists but they didn't own (Kinnoull Street). But on the other hand, the loss of Thimblerow doesn't matter because people can just park at this car park that already exists and the council still doesn't own. That's not even the most baffling element of St Catherine's Retail Park car park being included in the figures. This is an out-of-town retail park. The council's whole argument for building this leisure centre that nobody wants at Thimblerow is because it will, somehow, attract more footfall to the city centre. And yet, the way they are counteracting the loss of the most popular car park in the city centre is by telling shoppers they can park at the out-of-town retail park. Anyone even mildly aware of high street discourse over the last decade will know out-of-town retail parks are considered one of the main reasons behind high street decline, with the availability of free car parking a key factor. I would say make it make sense, but I suspect they don't want it to. So I'll ask it again. Who is this new Perth leisure centre at Thimblerow actually for? Because it's not the shoppers either.
The Courier
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Courier
Campaigners accuse council of running 'misleading' consultation on Bell's Sports Centre in Perth
Campaigners have accused Perth and Kinross Council of running a 'misleading' consultation over the future of Bell's Sports Centre in Perth. The local authority's survey asked the public if they would like to see the facility reopened as an unheated events space with 3G sports pitches. However, Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN) argue the wording of the consultation is inherently flawed as it provided no option for people to vote on the reopening of the facility as an indoor sports venue. Instead, the public were simply asked to leave a comment with other ideas. PKCSN believe respondents could have believed it was a choice between unheated or nothing. With nearly 2,000 votes, the consultation results show a 60/40 split for people said 'Yes' to the unheated idea. But a further breakdown of results obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request show that some of those who voted 'Yes' also commented that they would prefer a fully heated reinstated Bell's. Bill Powrie, campaigner with PKCSN, has a petition to save Bell's which demands it is reopened as multi-use indoor sports venue. It has already garnered over 3,700 signatures. He believes this means that the vast majority of people who have responded to either the consultation or petition are in favour of reinstating the facility as a fully-heated indoor sports venue. Bill told The Courier: 'The survey was misleading. 'If you combine the results of the survey and my petition then 78% are still in favour of indoor.' A report written by council officers ahead of the consultation also appears to suggest the local authority only ever wanted to consider an unheated option. An appendix to the report concludes: 'It is recommended that community engagement is undertaken on the future of Bell's through a survey and supporting communication campaign to encourage participation. 'Survey options to include: 'Do nothing beyond essential maintenance requirements which are the responsibility of the owner of a Category B listed structure. 'Convert the dome to an unheated event space/ multi-use sports pitch venue. 'Invite community suggestions for other unheated use.' Bill also slammed the estimated cost of the unheated option of £5m to £6m which is contained in the same report. Bill said: 'I don't believe that £5m to £6m represents good value for money for a few artificial football pitches.' The future of Bell's is set to go before councillors again next month. 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. 'Question five of the survey asked respondents if they agreed with the proposal to turn Bell's (into) an unheated sports centre. 'Question six asked those who disagreed with the proposal what uses they proposed instead.'
The Courier
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Courier
New design shows how Bell's Sports Centre in Perth could look
A new design shows how Bell's Sports Centre in Perth could look if it is reopened as a fully-heated indoor sports facility. Campaigners believe the iconic North Inch complex should be reinstated to serve the sporting communities that used it before it was shut by flooding. However, the local authority has put forward plans to turn Bell's into an unheated event space with sports pitches. The Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN), which represents a dozen local sports clubs, is against the council's proposals. AJ Fitchet Architects have drawn up a design for Bell's Sports Centre. Image: ajfitchet architect This view has been backed by nine national sporting bodies and nearly 3,700 people who have signed a petition to save the facility. The campaigners enlisted the help of architect Alastair Fitchet, who has worked pro bono with them for the last six months to help design new drawings for the facility. Councils Bell's plans make no sense to architect Alistair, who owns Ajfitchet Architects in Dundee, told The Courier it is important Bell's and its B-listed dome structure are protected. He said: 'I feel it's incredibly important. 'To be taking the heart of out the building and seeing what Perth and Kinross Council are looking to put in doesn't make any sense to me.' How volleyball courts with stands could look at Bell's. Image: Ajfitchet Architect The architect called the structure 'iconic' and says his new redesign 'acknowledges' the listed status. 'The dome is the key part,' Alastair says. 'I don't see any way a building like this would get built today. 'We need to protect it.' He has also incorporated elements to make the building more green and energy efficient. The proposed badminton setup at the redesigned Bell's. Image: Ajfitchet Architect The architect acknowledges his designs are at early stage of the process but hopes it will help spark the imagination for what is possible at Bell's. PKCSN is currently hosting a GoFundMe to raise money for surveyors to cost the designs. 'The people of Perth are being deprived' The controversial plans for Bell's tie into the council's overall new leisure centre proposals which have been met with a huge backlash by residents as they don't feature a dedicated leisure pool. PKCSN also argues the indoor sports provision at the new facility is far less than they already had at Bell's. David Munro, chairperson of the campaign group, told The Courier: 'The people of Perth are being deprived. 'They're being deprived of local sport, they're being deprived of the chance to participate in and watch national and international level sports. Dave Munro and Bill Powrie on Crieff Road, Perth. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson 'The only people I've spoken to that are in favour of an unheated option are a few councillors.' The future of the facility is set to be discussed by the council next month, alongside plans for PH20. A local authority 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.'
Daily Record
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Yes/No survey results on future of Bell's Sports Centre do not give the full picture say campaigners.
Respondents' comments, obtained under FoI, show broad range of preferences for the iconic city building. 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 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.'
Daily Record
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Architect's family back fight for future of Perth's Bell's Sports Centre
The family of the Perth architect who designed the city's Bell's Sports Centre have thrown their support behind a growing campaign to keep the iconic building in use to its full potential. John Beattie Davidson designed the striking domed structure, built between 1966 and 1968, while working in the Perth Town Council architects' office headed by David Cockburn. Mr Davidson died in 1984 aged 52. His 93-year-old wife Jean and daughter Kathleen (58), who live in Perth, and his son, also John (62), have now opened up about their pride knowing their husband and father designed one of the city's most historic buildings. They have voiced their support for the Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN) campaign to retain Bell's as an operating indoor sports centre. When completed, the North Inch building's dome had been the largest of its kind in the UK, and the architects were presented with a Guinness Book of Records certificate. This record was held until the construction of London's Millennium Dome, or O2, in the 1990s. Bell's closed following flood damage totalling £2m was caused when floodgates were left open in October 2023. Its 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 last year. One option for its future – put forward in a Perth and Kinross Council survey – is the removal of skirting around the dome and making it an unheated sports space. But sports club group PKCSN has set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money to assess keeping Bell's open as a heated indoor sports facility catering for a range of sports. Mrs Davidson said this week: 'The Bell's project was very much all in a day's work for John. 'I remember him making the model of the building and both of us attending events, including the laying of the foundation stone and the opening ceremony. 'When I look at the building now it doesn't look the same as I remember it all those years ago. 'I feel that it needs revamped. "I do hope the council can find a use for the building as an indoor sports venue as intended. It would be very sad if it was abandoned.' Daughter Kathleen – a pupil support assistant at Robert Douglas Memorial School in Scone – added: 'I have a great sense of pride that my dad designed the Bell's building. 'There is nothing quite like it. It feels very much part of my family and heritage.' Historic Environment Scotland (HES) stated that the purpose-built domed sports hall – B-listed in 2024 – is 'an exceptional surviving example of a new building type that developed in the second half of the 20th century.' The heritage body praised its surviving original features, including the exposed timber structure and use of good quality materials throughout. It added: 'The dome is the only one of its kind in Scotland and was the second domed sports centre to be built in the United Kingdom after the near-contemporary Lightfoot Dome (now the Walker Activity Dome) in Newcastle. 'Designed to accommodate a range of sporting courts and community activities, the building reflects the general increase in leisure time and the importance placed on health and well-being for wider public benefit during this period.' The Reopen Bell's petition, calling for it to be reopened as a multi-use indoor sports venue, was backed by 3,415 signatures as of yesterday (Thursday) . The PKCSN page urged: 'We are trying to ensure that the iconic Bell's Sports Centre in Perth is refurbished and restored to its former glory as a major sports and leisure facility for the residents of Perth, and the whole of Scotland. 'In order to persuade the council to change its mind, we need to hire a qualified architect, to carry out a detailed survey of Bell's, and produce for us a comprehensive report on the costs of, not only returning Bell's to its original status, before the flood, but also to improve several aspects of the building. 'Improved insulation, and the installation of solar panels, will reduce the cost of heating, and reduce the carbon footprint. 'An innovative heating system will reduce heating costs considerably. 'However, as we are not a company or registered charity, we are unable to apply for funding to carry out this essential work. 'The availability of local, high-quality sports and leisure facilities plays an important part in the physical and mental wellbeing of all of us. 'So, please be good enough to donate whatever you can, to help us keep the much-loved Bell's Sports Centre in Perth open, and help to return it to its rightful place, at the heart of sporting activity in Perth and beyond.' Last November the PA reported that almost all of the sports clubs displaced by the closure of Bell's had now found a new home. LAL chief executive, Paul Cromwell, told councillors at the time that the 'prompt' delivery of an alternative sports hall within the long-awaited £61m PH2O leisure centre on the city's Thimblerow car park is 'critical to meet future demand'. The proposal is to be discussed by elected members in due course.
