Are left in tatters
on its future will carry a lot more credence if options to refurbish and replace are both funded,” he said.
Attacking the coalition’s decision to all but abandon the PH20 project, the Perth City North councillor argued it was critical to keep cash for this proposal, or other potential investors - who Live Active Leisure has been attempting to attract for years - would likely look for opportunities elsewhere.
“It doesn’t get much more important than this, which is why the SNP will invest £4.725m in capital into the project from the outset which will allow match funding from trusts and sports organisations to be sought,” he said.
“These organisations will in all likelihood not invest in a project Residents were outraged at the plans which the council is not itself funding to some extent. That is the peril in which PH20 will be placed in if the administration’s budget is approved today unamended.”
Turning to the decision to raid the Letham hub fund for the Perth High School replacement and leave it standing at just £1.2m Councillor Doogan went on: “The community capacity in Letham is evident, it is significant and much of this is mature and high functioning and currently they feel very badly let down by this council who promised much and have delivered nothing to date.
“That is why after much discussion with officers reconciling their position with our ambition and obligation to Letham we have allocated £2.4m for the true delivery of the health and wellbeing hub that Letham deserves and, moreover, [was] promised.”
When it came to a vote, however, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats had the numbers to see their budget was comfortably passed.
Jon Kidd, of Letham4All, said of the decision to dramatically reduce the Letham hub budget: “It’s disappointing - I fully appreciate that this change in budget has come about as a result of a change in the administration, but projects should not fall in and out of favour based on the administration, particularly a project with such a massive reach as this.
“A preferred bidder has already been identified to carry out the work. The council is exposing itself to massive reputational damage here because they will now potentially not be awarding that contract to that bidder.”
Speaking about the cut to Pitlochry Primary funding, independent councillor Xander McDade said: “Members of the administration claimed during the meeting that they were a ‘listening administration’ – clearly they weren’t listening to the parents of Pitlochry who have made their feelings clear with over 500 people signing a petition to oppose our replacement primary being sacrificed.” Effie Massie joined in the protest
Jon Kidd said the council risked damaging its reputation with the move