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EXCLUSIVE: Draft timetable revealed for new Perth pool at Thimblerow

The plans would reduce children-centred activities by more than 30 hours a week.

Children at Perth Leisure Pool, a Live Active Leisure facility
Children at Perth Leisure Pool.

Leisure swimming hours with dedicated features for children have been cut by more than 30 hours a week in a draft timetable for the new Perth leisure centre at Thimblerow.

The mock plans only allow for 2.5 hours of leisure swimming with inflatables on Saturday and Sunday, across four lanes of the eight-lane pool – a total of five hours a week.

The current timetable for Perth Leisure Pool has 35.5 available hours of leisure swimming with features a week – across each of the seven days – including activities like flumes and wild water.

Saturday alone has 8.5 hours.

Perth Leisure Pool interior with families enjoying mix of pools and slides
Perth Leisure Pool. Image: Live Active Leisure

On Wednesday, councillors voted to build a scaled back version of PH2O at Thimblerow car park.

The controversial decision means there will be no dedicated leisure pool or ice rink at the facility.

Council officers have been charged with “exploring” the options for additional leisure water but it would need to be incorporated into the eight-lane pool.

An option to build a full PH2O facility at Glover Street with dedicated leisure water and ice rink was defeated by two votes.

Leisure swimmers ‘left to pick up crumbs’

Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey, who proposed the narrowly defeated Glover Street option, said leisure swimmers were being left to “pick up the crumbs” of available pool space.

He told The Courier: “The pool that got voted through on Wednesday is one that will be very sterile and won’t have the jungle wet play area, the lazy river, waterfall, outdoor pool, wee slides or flumes that we have today in Perth.

Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey
Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey

“Those are the things that mean my kids bug me to go to Perth to swim even when the Olympia (in Dundee) is open.

“As we can see from the timetable, leisure swimming is left to pick up the crumbs of pool space that other users leave behind.

The councillor added: “Leisure swimming will no longer be a walk-up thing in Perth.

“Folk will need to check timetables and worry how busy the cash desks and changing rooms will be.

“Parents will need to worry about their kids distracting the lane swimmers with the two uses divided just by a rope.”

The councillor also stated the optimum temperatures for lane swimmers is 28ºC while leisure swimmers, who will now share the same pool at the same time, preferred 31ºC.

The full draft timetable revealed

The full draft timetable is featured below.

The light blue squares are none-programmed free swim space lanes.

The red squares are reserved for Perth City Swim Club.

The purple is set aside for the inflatable sessions for kids.

The Courier’s design of the draft timetable given to councillors

The draft timetable was revealed in an elected members briefing note, made available to councillors before the vote on Wednesday.

The report, written by strategic lead for property services Stephen Crawford, stated the 25m x eight-lane pool would be programmed throughout the week with a combination of lane swimming, free swim space and other leisure/club activities.

I would also fit in Live Active Leisure swim and wellbeing programmes such as Aquafit and GP referrals.

The 12.5m x 8.5m teaching pool is programmed Monday to Sunday with free swim space and Live Active Leisure Learn to Swim classes.

Mr Crawford wrote: “On Saturday and Sunday, four lanes of the main pool would be reserved for a 2.5 hour inflatable session in the afternoon.

“On Saturday the main pool and teaching pool are both reserved from 6.30pm – close (7.45pm) for a pool disco.

“On Sunday two lanes of the teaching pool are reserved to accommodate an ASN
drop-in session.”

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