Tain poll results – Four out of five want a swimming pool added to campus plans

By Nicola Sinclair

May 15 2022, 5:00 pm

Four out of five people responding to our poll want a pool added at Tain campus. Photo: Shutterstock

Tain has spoken – and four out of five of you told us you want a new swimming pool.

Last month, the P&J revealed artist’s impressions of the new community campus for Tain. It featured extensive landscaping, in what Highland Council say will be their ‘greenest’ school build to date.

However, many commenters took to social media to point out what was missing: a swimming pool.

Last month, our poll asked: Should the council produce new plans including a swimming pool?

Out of 170 votes, 136 people said they want a pool added – even if it means delaying the build.

Roughly one in five said they don’t want the plans changed, but would like a pool to be added in future.

While two people said they’re happy with the current pool at Tain Royal Academy.

‘Cheaper and easier to add it now’

Tain Amateur Swimming Club asked their Facebook followers to “try to get the council to build a new pool at the new campus.”

Meanwhile, several members of the Tain Community Facebook page also called for a rethink.

Jean Jardine wrote: “Think we could go without the bespoke landscaping in exchange for a swimming pool, which is a necessity. It’s ok saying it is leaving scope for a swimming pool, but surely it is cheaper and easier to do this at the time of building than trying to add on an extension afterwards, and how many years would that take?”

Tain 3-18 campus — Some locals suggest using the landscaping money to pay for a new pool. Drawing produced by Stallan Brand Architects for Highland Council.

Joan Hood also felt that the cost of landscaping would be better spent on a new swimming pool. She suggested that school pupils could help with planting themselves, giving them a new skill.

Alasdair Mackintosh highlighted the amount of money Highland Council spends in Inverness: “Typical Highland Council… building everything left right and centre in Inverness but no care for any areas outside it. 3.5 million in the new townhouse in Inverness but can’t find money in the pot for a swimming pool for the community.”

Council to look at sponsorship options

However, many others commented on how far the long-awaited campus has come.

Lorraine Mann wrote: “It’s terrible that there’s no swimming pool, but apart from that it looks great! Good that the councillors and parents’ groups are on it though and that sponsorship is possible.”

A spokesperson for Highland Council said: “Capital funding for the new Tain 3-18 campus development was approved by the council in January 2021. This did not include funding for a replacement swimming pool at that time.

“However, the design masterplan for the campus includes an area where a replacement facility could be built at some point in the future, should funding become available.

“It was agreed at a stakeholder group meeting in March 2022 that a business case will be prepared for future consideration. This will compare the whole-life costs of a new swimming pool on the campus with the equivalent costs of retaining the existing facility, and will also look at potential external funding opportunities that may be available.”

Local councillor Derek Louden also offered reassurances that they were looking at different ways of funding the pool. “We all want to see it built,” he said.