Agenda item

The Committee had under consideration, upon a remit from the Finance and Resources Committee (article 35 of the minute of 17 June 2010 refers), a request from that Committee that the Education, Culture and Sport Committee review the non-housing capital programme for that service to identify urgent funding to carry out works to the interior of the Tullos Swimming Pool building.

At its meeting on 17 June 2010, the Finance and Resources Committee had expressed concern that the Education, Culture and Sport Committee had requested capital funding in order for the repairs to be undertaken, noting that service committees should take ownership of their non housing capital programmes, and reprioritise budgets to take account of urgent matters such as this case.

As a result of this the Committee had before it for consideration an update report on the review of the Education, Culture and Sport elements of the non housing capital programme.  The report advised that officers had not been able to identify any project within the programme for the current year which was neither already underway, nor non-essential.  The report advised that given the current lack of resources to progress the project at this stage and the pressing need to review the overall need for swimming pool facilities, it was recommended that the future of Tullos pool be considered as part of a wider decision on the number and nature of pools in the city and the creation of a city-wide water management plan.  It was noted that this exercise had already been successfully carried out by a number of other local authorities, in partnership with the national governing body, Scottish Swimming, and would provide a strategic overview to the future provision of swimming.  The approach would take account of the needs of local swimming clubs, and swimming pool users, and would tie in closely with the regional swimming development plan for the North of Scotland currently being developed by Scottish Swimming.

The report advised that as Tullos Swimming Pool had been made wind and watertight, the cost of maintaining the fabric of the building in its current condition could be funded through existing revenue budgets.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee:-

(a)       note the feedback from the Finance and Resources Committee;

(b)       agree the proposal to review the need for Tullos Swimming Pool, as part of a city-wide Water Management Plan, in partnership with Scottish Swimming, Sport Aberdeen and local swimming clubs.

(c)        agree to maintain Tullos Swimming Pool in a wind and water-tight manner, in order to protect the investment already made and avoid any further deterioration of the fabric of the facility, pending the outcome of the above review.

Also before the Committee was a letter from the Secretary of Tullos Community Council raising concerns about the repairs, highlighting the importance of the swimming pool to the community, and requesting the Committee to agree to re-open the pool.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations contained within the report, subject to amending recommendation (b), namely:- “to agree the proposal to review the need for Tullos Swimming Pool, as part of a city-wide Water Management Plan, in partnership with Scottish Swimming, Sport Aberdeen and local swimming clubs, to include bench marking of Aberdeen against Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow”.

- ANDREW MAY, Convener.