Murdo has written to the Leader of Perth and Kinross Council, Councillor Grant Laing, to ask him to ditch the Council’s PH2O plan and back the proposal to keep Bell’s Sports Centre for future sports provision.
He said he is impressed by the Business Plan put together by Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN). Their Business Plan aims to keep using Bell’s as a multi-use indoor sports hall. PKCSN feel this plan would retain the legacy of AK (Arthur Kinmond) Bell, who was one of Scotland’s leading philanthropists.
The grou feel the Thimblerow leisure complex plan is ‘not fit for purpose.’
Commenting, Murdo said: “Residents in Perth and Kinross are paying record levels of Council Tax under this SNP administration but see local services and sports and leisure provision being reduced. The SNP and their LibDem allies on the Council have to start listening to local opinion and invest in better facilities instead.
“PKCSN state that their Business Plan ‘outlines a strategy’ to refurbish the Bell’s Sports Centre to a high standard and would create a sustainable and ‘vibrant’ sports centre which would serve local residents and the wider sporting community. I fully support this proposal.
“I was impressed by the fact that PKCSN based much of their plan on a feasibility study carried out by a specialist architect, and it is important to acknowledge that they have taken into account the projected demographic of residents aged 50 and above to access more low impact sport and fitness classes. Market research shows that it is forecasted that Perth, as elsewhere, will see its ‘aging population’ increase by 26% over the next 25 years, offering a ‘huge growth market’ in low impact sport and leisure activities.”
Murdo continued: “The plan to keep using Bell’s makes sense and has the support of local residents. A poll recently carried out by a local newspaper found that 90% of respondents favoured this option, rather than the Council’s Thimblerow proposal, which I feel should be ditched. The PH2O plan falls short on many counts, including not having an ice rink, not having a separate leisure pool and not even having car parking provision on site.”
