Beach Leisure Centre to be demolished, Bucksburn Swimming Pool to close
Sport Aberdeen have lost nearly £700,000 in funding
The Beach Leisure Centre is being demolished after Sport Aberdeen's funding was cut by £687,000 at yesterday's Aberdeen City Council budget meeting.
READ MORE: Aberdeen City Council Budget: The story of the day
Bucksburn swimming pool will also close its doors to create space for additional school buildings.
Financial challenges to Sport Aberdeen 'inevitable'
Tony Dawson, Chairman of Sport Aberdeen, said: "In December last year, our Managing Director Alistair Robertson met with council co-leaders, the chief executive and service directors and was informed of the financial pressures facing local government across Scotland.
"As a council owned company, it was inevitable that Sport Aberdeen was invited to be part of the discussion and asked what it could do to help the council in this most difficult of circumstances.
"Given the scale of financial challenge, coupled with energy price increases, it was made clear that in the event of a significant funding reduction we would be unable to sustain all the services and facilities we operate.
"Both parties reluctantly accepted that in such a circumstance it would be necessary to cease the operation of Beach Leisure Centre and Bucksburn Swimming Pool, and base future provision at the remaining leisure assets in the city.
Jobs being protected
Mr Dawson continued: "We are already working to minimise the impact on our customers and staff as best we can and I have requested that our Managing Director investigate, as a priority, the feasibility of increasing access at Dyce Academy swimming pool.
"It would be our intention to move as many of our lessons there as possible to meet the significant demand that exists.
"Our immediate priority has been to reassure staff that their jobs are safe and that everyone will be offered roles at our other venues. We are in the process of contacting our valued customers to make them aware of our other facilities where they can continue to get active."
What did the council say?
"It is well known that the Beach Leisure Centre is at the end of its lifecycle, which is why we are planning for a new facility as part of the Beachfront Master Plan", said co-leader Alex Nicoll.
"The leisure pool closed last year due to a combination of rising energy costs and problems with the pool plant infrastructure, and it is simply uneconomical to carry on.
"The council will arrange for the building to be taken down and the site cleared to make way for future developments."
'Significant issues" at Bucksburn Swimming Pool
A joint statement Aberdeen City Council and Sport Aberdeen confirmed that: "Unfortunately, there are significant issues with Bucksburn Swimming Pool plant, linked to the age of the facility, which would cost over £400,000 to address.
"In the current environment that is just not feasible.
"In addition, yesterday the Council confirmed in its 2023/2024 budget a commitment of £13million to expand Bucksburn Academy in order to accommodate an increasing school roll, which means that the site of the pool is needed to create space for additional school buildings."