No health impact assessments done for Perth Thimblerow leisure centre plans

The Courier

06-06-2025

No research has been done on how the reduction in leisure facilities at a new PH2O Thimblerow will impact health and wellbeing in the city.
The controversial plans to build a new sports centre without a dedicated leisure pool has been met with near-universal backlash from residents and sports clubs alike.
The revelation comes nine months after Perth and Kinross Council chief executive Thomas Glen was probed on the same issue, but still no assessments have been carried out.
The council boss was questioned by Independent councillor Colin Stewart at the time.
Mr Stewart asked: 'If we reduce the overall sport offering in Perth and Kinross, what assessment have you made of how that aligns with the corporate objective of improving people's health and wellbeing?'
In response, Mr Glen said no such assessments had been carried out.
'We haven't done an assessment specifically round around any individual sport, round about the health impacts, we haven't done it for ice, we haven't done it for swimming, we haven't done it for any other sport,' said the chief executive.
The latest revelation is the latest in a series of concerns about the lack of studies and consultations carried out by either the council or Live Active Leisure (LAL) in regards to the new leisure plans.
The Courier revealed that LAL failed to carry out any consultation in their Equality and Fairness Impact Assessment (EIFA) regarding their plans to remove the gym from Bell's Sports Centre.
Leisure bosses also appear to have ignored advice from their own independent consultants to hold a public consultation on the plans.
World champion curlers claim their community was 'sidelined' by council officers in talks over the future of the Dewars Centre when they questioned the local authority's usage figures.
In February, The Courier revealed that Perth and Kinross Council failed to consult with the board of Live Active Leisure on the plans for Thimblerow.
Campaigners have also accused the local authority of conducting a 'misleading' consultation on plans to turn Bell's Sports Centre into an unheated arena with artificial pitches.
The future of Perth's leisure facilities is set to go back before councillors again on June 18.
The council want to build a watered-down vision of PH2O, incorporating Bell's Sports Centre, and turn the North Inch facility into an unheated arena with artificial pitches.
Perth and Kinross Community Sports Network (PKCSN), who represent a dozen sports in the area, are furious at the proposal.
Campaigners, including the curlers, swim clubs and former LAL board members, have heavily criticised the plans.
The local authority said its Leisure Asset Review – submitted in January 2024, months before the chief executive's comments – looked at all available leisure facilities across Perth and Kinross.
'This includes school halls available for rent which, together with the six-court hall to be included in PH20, will provide adequate and additional space for indoor sport and leisure,' said a council spokesperson.
'We will be introducing a consolidated booking system to make it easier for groups to access these facilities.
'Councillors approved plans to create Thimblerow in September 2024 and will be presented with proposals for additional leisure water options, as they requested, later this month.'