A LIST of potential sites for a new leisure centre in Dunoon has been drawn up as the solution to the town’s ageing Riverside leisure facility nears.
Argyll and Bute Council is examining a number of locations as part of the £200,000 business case commissioned to explore options for replacing Dunoon’s swimming pool.
Details of the sites under consideration were made public after this newspaper went to print, but this development marks the latest step in a process which began after serious concerns emerged over the long-term condition of the existing building.
Dunoon ward councillor and joint depute leader of Argyll and Bute Council Ross Moreland confirmed this week at a meeting of Dunoon Community Council that a list had now been prepared, although he said the locations needed to be considered alongside the wider options contained within the business case rather than in isolation.
The development comes almost 18 months after the health suite at Riverside was closed following the discovery of previously unforeseen problems with the fabric of the building.
The steam room, jacuzzi and sauna initially closed in March 2024 for what was expected to be a three-month refurbishment.
However, the planned work was halted when problems with the building were uncovered, leading to a full inspection by specialist engineers.
Although the health suite has never reopened, funding has been allocated so that essential maintenance could be carried out in order to keep Riverside operational.
In March last year, councillors agreed to allocate £200,000 towards developing a business case examining the possibility of creating an entirely new leisure facility for Cowal.
At the time, Councillor Moreland said: “Although the money assigned in the capital budget is enough to keep the Riverside Leisure Centre open, it does not repair the health suite or fix the long-term structural issues.
“With this 57-year-old building showing its age and being of a previous era compared to other newer centres across our region, it is vital to look at how we preserve the future of a swimming pool and leisure facilities in Dunoon.”
The scope of the project has also moved beyond simply looking at a replacement swimming pool.
Earlier this year at a Dunoon Community Council meeting, Councillor Moreland stressed that the business case was examining the potential for a wider leisure centre, describing what could eventually be required as a far more encompassing building.
At the time, community councillor John Jamieson raised the question of what type of facility should replace Riverside and called for more information to allow local people to consider the options.
A member of the public also asked at what stage residents would be able to influence decisions on the location and facilities offered by any new centre.
Councillor Moreland said the community would be engaged, but explained that this could only take place once officers had established which potential sites were actually viable.
He said at the time: “Engagement is a fair distance off because we need to see what sites are viable first.”
That work has now progressed to the point where a list of potential locations has been identified.
However, the existence of a shortlist does not mean a location has been selected or that a new leisure centre has yet been approved for construction.
The Observer will report the full list of locations under consideration and what each could mean for the future of leisure provision in Dunoon next week.
