Dome sweet dome
Work to start on iconic roof at sports centre
Work is to begin this month on the re-covering of Perth’s iconic Bell’s Sports Centre dome.
Live Active Leisure’s biggest venue will undergo a £750,000 resurfacing project to install a new canvas on the sports centre’s roof - as the existing canvas had been pecked into a state of disrepair by seagulls.
The Perthshire Advertiser revealed exclusively in February the ambitious plans for the revamp of the North Inch building.
Fitness firm Live Active have also confirmed the project will provide improved insulation and ventilation that will enhance the venue’s environmental performance and efficiency.
The existing canvas will be left in place, it has been confirmed, and covered with a new one, saving both time and money.
Paul Cromwell, Live Active Leisure’s chief executive officer told the PA: “We are delighted to confirm this ongoing investment in Bell’s Sports Centre, demonstrating the company’s absolute commitment to this iconic flagship venue which provides a vital role in our ability to offer the best sporting opportunities to all of our customers.”
Live Active bosses are expecting the work, which will be funded entirely by the company’s reserves, to take around 25 weeks in total and have taken measures to minimise disruption to customers.
The replacement work has been contracted to North Muirtonbased roofing specialists AIM Developments Ltd.
Chic Scrimgeour, director at the firm, said: “We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the contract to re-cover the iconic dome roof at Bell’s Sports Centre.
“This is an extremely exciting project for us to be working on due to the complex shape of the roof. We’ve done quite a few awkward shaped buildings and a few domes in our time, and for us, it’s a case of the more challenging, the better.
“The current covering has been in place for about
Work will start on April 30, and below, how we broke the story back in February 30 years, and the Sarnafil covering we’re putting on will last at least 40 years.
“It must be one of the biggest domes in Scotland. It’s a big contract for us and it’s great for a Perth firm to be working on such an iconic Perth building.”