Comhairle to consult on rural pool closures
Two rural swimming pools in north Lewis have effectively been granted a stay of execution, after councillors echoed the concerns of the communities affected, and agreed to embark on a consultation exercise.
The closure of the facilities at Shawbost and Lionel were contained in a wide-ranging package of saving measures.
Due to technicalities in the decision-making process the closure proposals remain “on the table” for the time being. However, councillors this week agreed to consultation with the two communities.
The package of cuts were formally agreed back in February – but councillors expressed concern that they were not fully aware of the impacts on the rural swimming pools.
Point councillor Norrie MacDonald said: “I don't know if any of us consciously agreed to closing two swimming pools. We might have agreed to whatever proposal was buried in the minutiae of all the detail.
“But if you listed every single member in [the council chamber] just now, you would not get anybody that would say this is a great idea. It's not.
“Nothing is set in stone. If we agreed to something and weren't aware of the consequences, we can change our minds, because that's our prerogative in here. We can change our minds. And I certainly believe that if we were asked just now to change our minds, it would be changed within five minutes.”
Cllr MacDonald added: “I’m passionate about this. I'm also vice chair of the Sustainable Development committee. We're in the process of trying to arrest the population decline and reverse it, not accelerate it.
"And we're also in the process of trying to decentralise away from Stornoway. You know, we need to take all of these things into consideration with our own local plan, and what it is we're trying to do.”
Stornoway South Councillor, Rae Mackenzie said that he felt “more would be lost” than gained by proceeding with the cuts and closures in terms of both short-term and long-term health benefits, and called on NHS Western Isles to contribute to the costs of running the facilities.
Earlier in the meeting, the Convenor of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Westside and Ness councillor Kenneth Macleod, said that he had received many calls from people in his ward concerned about the cuts and closures, and highlighted that talks had been undertaken with local groups to look at taking over the management of Lionel swimming pool.
He said: “These talks have been going on for a couple of years, and I'm lost to understand why nothing has moved on that.”
Cllr Macleod then proposed that the closures be deferred for another year.
Comhairle Chief Executive, Malcolm Burr intervened to highlight that the cuts could not be set aside at this meeting from a legal perspective but that they could be looked at again in the forthcoming budget setting process. But he warned funding would need to be identified.
Mr Burr stated: “This is a consultation which the service is obliged to undertake in terms of a decision made by Comhairle.
“But this does not close the door on consideration of other options or, indeed, of course, of consideration of the whole budget line at the next budget round in February.”