Perth and Kinross Council has approved a May 2023 deadline for community asset transfer applications for Perth’s Rodney Pavilion.
The council has received two expressions of interest in the building formerly used by Live Active Leisure.
The two options currently proposed for the building, which overlooks the Tay, are to create a social enterprise café and training opportunity and to develop a site for waterborne and other outdoor activities.
Perth and Kinross Council’s property sub-committee was asked to approve marketing the pavilion should no formal community asset transfer application be received or received but not granted by May 2023.
Proposals ‘ready to go’
PKC has a two-stage process in supporting groups with community asset transfers – the first is an expression of interest where groups are asked to provide basic information on the proposal.
Councillors were told by both the council’s leader and capital programme leader Norman Ballantine that both proposals were “constituted and ready to go” to be developed as community asset transfer applications.
The May 2023 deadline allows time for expressions of interest to be developed into community asset transfer applications.
Nursery and school is a ‘no’
In June 2022 Perth and Kinross Council approved Live Active Leisure’s withdrawal of its gym and fitness service from the Dundee Road building.
Perth City Centre Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Barrett tabled an amendment – approved by councillors – for PKC to consider using the building as an infant school and nursery annex for Kinnoull Primary School across the road.
At June’s meeting he asked: “Can it deliver a viable solution for nursery and infant accommodation, relieving accommodation pressures and increasing the current cramped and crowded outdoor playground space the school has?”
However, the answer in the report put before PKC’s Property Sub-committee on Monday was effectively “no”.
The report stated: “The use of the Rodney Centre by the school is not required as there is sufficient space and capacity for the school’s needs in the current building with an upgrade project undertaken in 2014 with £1.6m of investment.”
Health use discounted
Another option was for the Health and Social Care Partnership to use the building but “this was discounted because of the size and extent/costs associated with the refurbishment required to bring this up to clinical and care standards”.
Similarly there were no other council services identified as requiring use of the building.
SNP Perth City Centre councillor Eric Drysdale asked if it would be open to further expressions of interest in addition to the two already expressed.
Council leader Grant Laing said: “My understanding is it would be open to May for any expression of interest – the current ones or new ones coming in.”
This was confirmed.
Six months to make the case
The recommendations in the report – moved by Cllr Laing and seconded by Cllr Drysdale – were unanimously approved.
Perth City Centre councillor Peter Barrett said: “Like other members of this committee I’m very keen to see this building occupied and put to a good community use as soon as possible.
“I hope the groups are able to put forward viable and sustainable business cases in the six-month period we have now given them.”