Councillors have voted to save ice rink and leisure swimming facilities in Perth after they faced being axed amid cost-cutting plans by council bosses.
Proposals to build a new sporting centre that did not cater for curling or family friendly swimming had been met with a furious backlash from residents and sporting clubs when they were first made public last week.
But at a council meeting on Monday, elected members voted to amend the proposals for a new PH20 to include ice rink and leisure swimming facilities.
The new plans are to be brought before councillors again in August.
Council leader Grant Laing said the local authority had to “finally move forward after years of delay” and deliver the long-awaited PH20 project, first mooted a decade ago.
He said: “Now is the time to put a line in the sand, get a feasible, affordable project that does the best it can to maintain ice facilities, to maintain leisure facilities in swimming.
“That way we will see something delivered and on the ground in the next five or six years.”
Perth is part of curling DNA
Despite cross-party agreement that the facilities should be saved, the topic was debated in chambers for nearly four hours in often fractious circumstances.
Depositions were heard from Perth Curling Club, Scottish Curling and Perth City Swim Club.
Addressing the meeting, CEO of Scottish Curling, Vincent Bryson, said that Perth was “part of the DNA of curling worldwide”.
He said: “I will commit Scottish Curling to a permanent presence on any group committed to developing solutions for curling and ice sports in Perth.
“We cannot lose this sport from its iconic home.”
“For us, it is keeping curling in Perth, obviously Dewars is iconic as a venue but it’s Perth the city that is probably more iconic for curling.”
Former Olympic curler and vice-chairman of Perth Curling Club, Peter Loudon, said multi-sport solutions for ice like he had witnessed in Canada could be utilised in a new venue.
He said: “Curlers and volunteers are the beating heart of curlers in Perth.
“They are a vital part of the 50 clubs, 1500 curlers, the 138 national champions and the 86 medals won, Olympic, World and Europeans, that have all come from Perth.”
The president of Perth City Swim Club, Eve Thomson, spoke of the lack of swimming water already available in the city.
Ms Thomson believes the loss of a leisure pool would affect families and the amount of time her club would be able to spend training.
She said: “We know from the figures that have come out in the report that the footfall at Perth Leisure Pool is high compared to other venues and mostly that is made up of leisure swimmers.
“To not see children not have the opportunity to be involved with sport, I see that as a terrible thing.
“Having those facilities creates such a nice atmosphere for the children, they have a positive connection with the water.”
Conversation