A Dundee City Councillor has learned that the Olympia Leisure Centre remains on track to reopen in October.
West End councillor Fraser Macpherson asked for an update on the swimming pool’s repairs.
Mr Macpherson said: “It looks like these are on schedule and hopefully we will see re-opening later in the autumn.”
The council’s Lib Dem leader was advised by the senior manager for capital projects and cost management.
He said: “I can confirm that the project is progressing well across the various trade activities taking place.
“In relation to the overall programme, the project is approximately 75% complete.
“We remain on target for the original completion date of Friday October 6 for the contract works.
“It is worth highlighting that the October date is the construction completion, and we are developing a commissioning schedule to determine dates for Leisure and Culture Dundee staff being trained and in a position to set an opening date in due course.
“Once we get closer to the end of the construction programme, in conjunction with Leisure and Culture Dundee, we will be able to set a date for the reopening.”
Strategy is urgently needed
The Scottish Liberal Democrat Group feels a proper strategy for swimming provision in Dundee is urgently needed.
Mr Macpherson said, “On top of the Olympia fiasco, the council has made a total mess of swimming provision at the East End Campus.
“It is the most costly tender Dundee City Council has ever had at over £100 million but there’s to be no swimming pool.
“The fact that the schools it will replace – Braeview Academy and Craigie High School – both have swimming pools – makes it a backwards step if ever there was one.
“When I tried to raise this at the council’s Policy & Resources Committee, the council leader shut down questioning.
“I then asked the Children and Families Service who made the decision to have no swimming provision and when it was made, they effectively said there is no such date.
“It also failed to consult the local community on the lack of any swimming provision.
“This causes us to draw the conclusion that swimming is low down the priority list of the council, which is hugely disappointing.”
No decision made on East End pool
Responding, the director of Children and Families Service said: “I can say from the outset, there was no one specific day/date when the decision was made about a swimming pool in the EEC.
“It was more as a result of various early conversations across Children & Families Service, City Development and Corporate Services.
“The approach taken in developing the scheme has been to communicate with all stakeholders and update as the design progressed.
“On this basis the focus was on what accommodation was being included within the facility rather than what was not being included.
“As such there was at no point during the process where a specific date can be identified as where a decision was made to not include certain elements of accommodation within the project.”
