Rumours that a Fife swimming pool could close due to council cutbacks were blown out of the water by the region’s Sports and Leisure Trust.
Talk was rife in Cardenden that Bowhill Swimming Pool was earmarked for the axe, as Fife Council seeks ways of saving £120 million over the next three or four years in the face of budget cuts.
It had been suggested new pools for Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes could convince council chiefs the Cardenden pool was no longer needed, as adequate public transport links from the village to other towns and leisure facilities are in place.
However, a spokesman for Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, which manages the region’s sport and leisure facilities on behalf of Fife Council, aimed to quash suggestions the pool could close.
“The council has confirmed to the trust that no decision has been made to close any sport and leisure facility-this includes Bowhill swimming pool,” she said.
Bowhill has seen record numbers of attendees recently, thanks to major improvements and investments worth over £200,000 in the past two years.
The 25-metre swimming pool was revamped, while the gym and health suite was also fitted with new equipment.
From April to January, more than 36,000 people visited the pool, a 35% increase in total attendance from the same period in 2009.Three starsIn recognition of the quality of its improvements, VisitScotland awarded the pool a three-star rating. The facilities have also been recognised as excellent and scored 91% in a mystery shopper survey.
Trust chief executive Ed Watson said of the facility recently, “We are delighted to see that the improvements we have made to Bowhill’s facilities and services have made a difference to the local community.
“Fife Sports and Leisure Trust aims to provide active lifestyle and healthy-living opportunities for everyone in Fife, and it is rewarding to be able to have those opportunities being taken advantage of by an increasing number of people.
“Our efforts to make affordable, top-quality services accessible to the local Cardenden community have been reflected by the increase in leisure centre-goers.
“The three-star rating is an assurance to our visitors of the quality of the facilities they use, and we are proud that our investments have been recognised as such.
“However, the mystery shopper survey results and the increase in attendance is the real testament and reward for our efforts to provide Cardenden with the best quality leisure services possible.”
Councillor Mark Hood said he was pleased the pool has been saved from cuts this year, adding, “I have written to officers requesting that the proposal be shelved permanently as it is important that local people know that the facility will be there for the long term.”