Shona Robison has been urged to be “on the side of Dundee” in a row over a potential £800,000-a-year tax bill for the city’s new regional sports centre.
It comes after campaigners launched a petition calling for the health and sport secretary to back appeals for the controversial plan to be pulled from next Wednesday’s budget.
The Courier revealed how the £32 million Caird Park Regional Performance Centre could be hit by the charge after the Scottish Government ruled new community sports and arts facilities should be subject to business rates.
The decision means services run by arms-length external organisations (ALEOs) — such as the new Caird Park facility — are liable to be hit with large rate demands going forward.
Labour MSP Jenny Marra called on Nicola Sturgeon to “reassure the people of Dundee” and guarantee the centre will be delivered to the city tax free.
However, at First Minister’s Questions last week, Ms Sturgeon refused to rule out a six-figure charge, with ministers set to hold crunch talks with local councillors.
Ms Marra has now challenged fellow-Dundee MSP Shona Robison to stand up for the city and use her ministerial influence to help scrap the “sport tax”.
She said it was “unbelievable” the health and sport minister “is planning to vote for a budget that will land new sports facilities in Dundee and across Scotland with a new hefty tax bill”.
“Surely the way to improve our children’s health is to encourage physical activity,” she said.
“This proposal does the opposite.
“The budget is on Wednesday and there is still time for the Scottish Government to stop this regressive tax.
“I challenge Shona Robison and her colleagues to be on the side of Dundee and use their influence to drop this from the budget.”
North-east MSP Bill Bowman, who serves as the Scottish Conservative’s tax spokesman, claimed there was “no justification” to tax the facility.
“Many councils across the country, such as Aberdeen, are exempt from business rates on sports complexes but Dundee is being punished because this is a new development,” he said.
“Given ongoing SNP budget cuts, our local authorities simply cannot afford to absorb these substantial extra costs.”
He added: “I hope Shona Robison will heed these calls and appeal to the finance secretary to support the city.”
The Courier approached Ms Robison’s office for comment but instead received a response on behalf of finance secretary Derek Mackay.
A spokesman said: “Following representations from Dundee’s local SNP MSPs Shona Robison and Joe FitzPatrick, Mr Mackay has already tasked Scottish Government officials with discussing a range of issues with Dundee City Council on the Regional Performance Centre, reflecting the importance of the centre to the city and to Scottish sport.”
