Following the news that Fife Sport and Leisure Trust have announced a cut to the hours of the Bowhill swimming pool, closing the pool on four mornings a week, I raised a motion in the Scottish Parliament about cuts to public swimming services in Fife. The Trust say they consulted staff but what about the community? It seems not.
Fife Council set up this Trust to run its pools so Fife Council and Fife Councillors cannot hide behind the Trust and must listen to the local community and reverse this cut.
Motion
Number: S5M-20050
Lodged By: Alex
Rowley
Date Lodged: 26/11/2019
Title: Cuts
to Public Swimming Services in Fife
Motion Text: That
the Parliament notes with concern the reductions in the budget of the Fife
Sport and Leisure Trust; understands that these are resulting in a reduction in
access to public swimming in a number of Fife swimming pools; recognises the
campaign led by retired residents of the Cardenden area against the closure of
Bowhill swimming pool on weekday mornings to save money on staffing; believes
that such closures run contrary to the spirit of many local authority and
Scottish Government strategies aimed at tackling poor health, improving
wellbeing and reducing social isolation and loneliness; notes that Fife Council
established the charitable trust as a step to avoid paying business rates on
its leisure facility buildings; is concerned that, despite the Trust warnings
to Fife Council that the consequences of continued reductions in its management
fee threatens access to public swimming, the local authority continues to make
these reductions; understands that the Trust was set up in 2008 to manage and
operate leisure facilities on behalf of Fife Council and was paid a management
fee of £6 million, and believes that having reduced the management fee to £2
million, Fife Council must now consult with the people of Fife on their
priorities before making any more reductions to public swimming in Fife.
