‘Saved’ facilities will receive no extra funds for vital investment
SEVERAL of the city’s leisure facilities which need “significant investment” are to be denied any funding except for basic maintenance, the Evening Times has learned.
Correspondence with representatives from Glasgow City Council and Glasgow life said they “do not have any plans to spend any additional funds on facilities such as Alexandra Park Golf Course, Haghill Football Pitch and Whitehill Swimming Pool”.
This is despite acknowledging that facilities such as Whitehill Pool are “in need of significant investment”.
The fear from campaigners is that just days after the Evening Times revealed that Whitehill Pool had been saved from closure in council budget cuts, it will be left to slowly deteriorate, until it is closed in the future.
A spokesperson for the Save Whitehill Pool campaign group said: “Whilst we are pleased to hear the pool is safe this year we are concerned it will be left to fall into disrepair, building a stronger case for closure further down the road.
“We will resist this strongly and have made arrangements for an independent inspection of ongoing maintenance and refurbishment costs.
“We are still seeking clarity on the future of Alexandra Park Golf Course following misinformation from one of our elected members stating a local housing provider had plans for an asset transfer. We look forward to this information being made available.”
Drumchapel’s Councillor Paul Carey, who is opposing the closure of Drumchapel pool, says if the council plans to allow the facilities to fall to ruin the SNP’s promise to keep them open “isn’t worth the paper it’s written on”.
He said: “If that’s the case, this isn’t finished.
“It contradicts what was said when they claimed to be saving the pools. I will be campaigning against it.”
Councillor Elaine McDougall said: “It would have been a drop in the ocean compared to the impact it would have had on my community and if it hadn’t been for the ‘People Power’ campaigning to save the pool it would have taken the heart out of the community.”
Campaigners are now understood to be planning a protest outside the City Chambers on February 21 to oppose the move.
A council spokesman said: “A significant amount of the council’s property and land assets, across all services and all communities, require investment.
“This week, at a committee meeting several of the campaigners attended, the council adopted a new strategy to manage that process in a way that is both strategic and community-focused.
“That’s the context in which competing priorities for investment will now be considered – but we have to bear in mind it was only approved 24 hours ago.”