AS management at Riverside Leisure Centre in Dunoon prepare to close for eight weeks for essential maintenance, its been revealed that the local authority now has a shortlist of possible locations for a brand new facility.
It’s understood that possible sites for a new swimming pool have been examined by Argyll and Bute Council chiefs over the past few months and now a shortlist has been drawn up.
Escalating concerns about the condition of the Riverside Leisure Centre at the corner of Moir Street and Alexandra Parade had been expressed after a year-long closure of the centres health suite, which shut last March for what was expected to be a three-month refurbishment of the steam room, jacuzzi and sauna.
Work was halted when unforeseen building fabric issues were discovered just as the project was due to begin.
Specialist engineers carried out a full inspection of the council-owned, liveArgyll-operated building, with their report submitted to the authority at the end of last year.
On the back of those findings, officers were then tasked with using £200,000 to identify and assess potential sites for a replacement facility, amid growing concern over the centres long-term viability.
While the council has also set aside funding for essential repairs to keep parts of the current building operational, officials say the condition of the Riverside complex raises significant questions about its future, making a new-build option a priority for detailed investigation.
Speaking at last week’s Dunoon Community Council meeting on Monday night, co-depute leader of Argyll and Bute Council and Dunoon ward councillor Ross Moreland confirmed that progress has been made.
He explained: “There was a site selection meeting with officers around four weeks ago and they’ve gone through a list of sites, which I can’t speak about yet. I would probably hope to make some sort of announcement around budget time in February.”
This development comes as Riverside Leisure Centre is set to close temporarily for essential maintenance works which will begin on Monday October 20 for eight weeks.
In a statement released last week, liveArgyll’s spokesperson explained: “We are working pro-actively to support members and minimise inconvenience wherever possible. During this time, members will have full access to The Queen’s Hall gym, fitness classes, and all other liveArgyll facilities. We’d also like to remind members that, although not a direct alternative, they have free access to over 80 leisure facilities throughout Scotland as part of the Leisure Link partnership.”
