Orkney councillors yesterday decided not to back a bid to channel funds towards four swimming pools in the county’s outer islands.
At the full council meeting, councillor Dr Stephen Clackson sought to have around £453,000 put towards pools in Sanday, North Walls, Stronsay, and Westray.
Earlier this week, at a special meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee, councillors gave the thumbs for £8.24million to be spent on 17 projects around the islands. The council found itself with an unallocated £8.25million from the Scottish Government to help with the extra costs incurred during the pandemic.
Dr Clackson asked for 5.5% to be taken from each of the approved projects and put towards four islands’ pools facilities.
Making his case, he said: “In addition to the two swimming pools on the [Orkney] mainland, Orkney has four swimming pools situated on islands at North Walls, Westray, Sanday, and Stronsay.
“All four are in a bad way.
“Some have experienced extended periods of closure and all require repairs and refurbishment. Some need their changing facilities upgraded to modern standards.”
Dr Clackson said he has been told of pools leaking water, filters needing replaced, and plant nearing the end of its life.
He also said there are roofs in need of repair, and changing facilities are unsuitable for accommodating all gender identities.
‘These island pools are not a luxury. They are key facilities.’
Dr Clackson added: “These island pools are not a luxury. They are key facilities, not just in leisure but in education and health and wellbeing.
“Our island children and some adults learn to swim in them. This is an essential life-preserving skill for people living on patches of land surrounded by sea and who travel a lot on boats.
“It’s not only the children on the islands with the pools that benefit from them. Papay pupils use the Westray pool and Eday pupils learn to swim in the Sanday pool.
He also said swimming is the main exercise for those with limited mobility.
The pools also have a religious use as, in September, the Sanday pool hosted a baptism.
He added: “The pool problem is a real area of concern.
“The commitment of the communities to their swimming pools is demonstrated by the sheer number of volunteers involved in running them.
Should some of ‘Santa’s largesse should be used at islands’ pools?
“The communities value their pools and don’t want to lose them.
“I would like to see some of Santa’s largesse directed to help address this problem. I’ve suggested a way this could be achieved relatively painlessly.”
Other councillors said they recognised the need for work at the pools. However, they also said this was not the right channel for money to be found in.
Councillor Leslie Manson said he was “resistant to the raid” on the sums of money earmarked for the other projects.
He said some of the agreed projects may need more than the sums of money already allocated.
“To shave them at this stage would be an inappropriate mechanism,” he added, to fund the work at the pools.
Like Dr Clackson, councillor Graham Sinclair’s ward is Orkney’s North Isles.
Mr Sinclair is also chairman of the council’s development and infrastructure committee.
‘This is coming forward at the wrong time in the wrong place’
Referring to the meeting earlier in the week, where the original list of projects was viewed, he said: “I was absolutely sure that every single member would have a different sense of priority and could argue for greater allocation to some priorities and lesser towards others and maybe introduce new priorities into the mix.
“This displays complete disregard for the restraint that all members have displayed in not bringing forward their own priorities.
“Although I would have great sympathy for the improvement and good maintenance of the islands’ pools, I simply can’t actually support this.
“This is coming forward at the wrong time in the wrong place.”
‘I simply can’t support this’
Responding, Dr Clackson said just because other members hadn’t put forth their own amendments didn’t invalidate his.
He added: “When people in the isles see £1million being proposed for Kirkwall and then they go along to their swimming pool and see it closed, I just wonder what they will think.”
After a vote, only three councillors were in favour of Dr Clackson’s proposal, while fifteen voted against it.