Paee 8 Doubts over £25 million Perth swimming pool proposal.

Funding to revamp the Perth facility is axed

A planned £25 million overhaul of Perth swimming pool could be dead in the water after council chiefs announced their intention to withdraw funding.

Live Active Leisure (LAL), the council’s arms-length body behind the PH20 project, said it was “extremely disappointed” with budget proposals to axe spending on the new pool.

Perth and Kinross Council’s Tory-led administration said budgets for several projects, including PH20, need to be trimmed to pay for a £50m rebuild of Perth High School.

If approved at capital budget talks next week, the move will leave Live Active Leisure bosses scrabbling for alternative funding sources.

Opposition councillors have welcomed progress on the Perth High development, but said the council

Live Active Leisure are extremely disappointed with the proposal that the PH2O project should no longer receive capital investment from the budget. MIKE ROBINSON

should adopt an alternative spending plan which does not “unfairly disadvantage” other schemes.

Council leader Murray Lyle told The Courier that “sacrifices” need to be made to fund the secondary school project.

Proposals to build new primary schools at Oudenarde and Pitlochry are also being shelved.

Slashing the PH20 budget by £5m will leave project leaders facing a £15m shortfall.

Mike Robinson, chairman of Live Active Leisure, said: “Understandably, Live Active Leisure are extremely disappointed with the proposal that the PH2O project should no longer receive capital investment from the Perth and Kinross Council Capital Budget.

“We await the actual decision next week, and clarification from officers to understand where this leaves the council’s commitment to replacing the pool and ice rink, as they have made it abundantly clear that they accept this as an essential and cost-neutral project.”

He added: “We will continue working with the council to investigate alternative funding options.”

The planned new pool at PH20.