A Banffshire councillor has accused his political opponents of throwing the future of a local swimming pool into doubt in a “scorched earth” budget vote.
Ross Cassie, SNP councillor for Troup, questioned why Independent Hamish Partridge and Conservative Mark Findlater voted against a council budget which promised to protect the school pool at Bracoden.
The proposal was part of the SNP-Labour Partnership administration’s budget which also ended the nine-year freeze on council tax.
The swimming pool at Bracoden, near Gardenstown, was first built as an open-air facility in the late 1950s and paid for by the local community.
Over the years it has been upgraded and is now a heated indoor pool which is part of the primary school.
But the facility has been temporarily closed for two years and its future was in doubt ahead of the budget as councillors considered permanently scrapping it to save cash.
Mr Cassie said: “It is clear to see where people’s priorities are. Those who voted to accept our Partnership budget value our communities, listen to our communities and deliver to our communities.
“Those who opposed it offered no solutions or policies, just scorched earth for our communities and little or no meaningful future for the younger members of our society.”
But last night Mr Findlater hit back at the accusations and said his party was not seeking to close the pool.
“The Alliance’s budget line reads to ‘review school pools’, not close school pools.
“I am totally against the closure of Bracoden School pool which was funded by the good folk of Gardenstown many years ago.
“No pool makes money but the benefit to generations of Gamrie bairns having the opportunity to learn to swim is priceless.”
Mr Findlater said that it is “sensible” to review the pool ahead of the possible creation of a charitable trust to oversee sport in the north-east.
Last night Mr Partridge said: “This is just a cheap political shot from the SNP with an election coming up.
“There was no line in the budget singling out Bracoden for closure.”
Mr Partridge, formerly an SNP councillor, said he has “87 e-mails” with council officers about keeping the pool open.
He added: “The pool is due to open in the spring, the work is ongoing so it’s not a budget issue because the money has already been spent in the last budget.”
