Petition to protect north-east’s remaining swimming pools launched

A petition for the Scottish Government to provide more funding to protect the north-east’s remaining swimming pools has been launched.

Calls to the Scottish Government have been made to “ring fence” funding to help keep surviving swimming pools and leisure centres going.

A petition urging the government to provide extra funds to keep remaining facilities open has been launched.

It follows after many key community pools such as Bucksburn Swimming Pool and the Beach Leisure Centre in Aberdeen were closed due to a reduction in funding.

The decision to close the Bucksburn swimming pool came after Sport Aberdeen’s funding was reduced by almost £700,000 by the council. 

Despite Bucksburn residents and pool users protesting for weeks to the announcement, the pool was closed on April 30.

Many more pools in Westhill, Alford, Ellon and Turriff have also reduced their opening hours.

Funding cuts ‘short sighted’

Due to rising costs and reduced funding, there are fears that functioning leisure centres and pools could still face closure or severely reduced opening hours.

Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Alexander Burnett, is now encouraging north-east residents to take action to protect these remaining facilities.

The started petition is calling on the government to use extra funds following chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s £63m package to protect swimming pools and leisure centres from rising costs.

According to Mr Burnett, the chancellor’s announcement in March resulted in around £6m extra for Scotland which has yet to be released.

In the petition, Mr Burnett states: “The SNP Government has inflicted savage cuts on Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils, resulting in public swimming pools and leisure centres across the north-east being forced to either close or drastically reduce their operating hours.

“This is despite there being a significant demand for the facilities and services offered at these swimming pools and leisure centres by local residents, groups and businesses.

“The funding cuts to swimming pools and leisure centres by the Scottish Government are short sighted due to the important role these facilities have in promoting healthy living and tackling obesity, as well as the wider economic and social benefit these centres provide to local communities.

“This petition calls on the Scottish Government to ring fence funding for swimming pools and leisure centres so that they remain open and as accessible as possible for the public to use.”

The link to the petition can be found here.