Kathleen Fowler worries that her health will suffer if she can’t go swimming any more.
The 91-year-old can regularly be found performing laps at Bucksburn Swimming Pool, and fears her joints will “stiffen up” when it shuts in about two weeks.
She got a bus to Aberdeen city centre on Wednesday morning to join protests against its closure.
But now campaigners are plotting a court case that could potentially throw Kathleen, and the scores of people like her, a lifeline.
The locals leading efforts to save the pool have commenced talks with law students at Robert Gordon University about a possible legal challenge.
Campaigners in battle against time to keep pool open
The plug will be pulled on the Bucksburn pool when it shuts on Sunday, April 16.
The closure comes after the council slashed operator Sport Aberdeen’s funding by £687,000.
Bosses at the charity had pleaded against the cut, telling local authority leaders it would spell the end for the facility.
In the weeks since the budget blow, residents have staged various protests – and even done their own fundraising.
But when councillors were urged to revisit the decision on Monday, the SNP and Liberal Democrat administration voted to maintain the cuts.
Bucksburn pool pensioner concerned
Kathleen, who has lived in Bucksburn for 20 years, said: “I still go swimming, I went on Monday morning and I intend to go today too.
“I do feel like I’m being discriminated against.
“I can’t get another pool, as it would cost £15 for a taxi there. And the bus would take me an hour-and-a-half.
“I’d have to walk a mile to catch another one…
“My worry is that my joints will stiffen up if I don’t go swimming, but it’s a purpose to go out as well so it has social benefits.”
The pensioner explained that Bucksburn Swimming Pool is the only one in the area with steps into the shallow end – making it easy for people with poor mobility to enter and exit.
Kathleen said a friend from Tarves, near Ellon, often travels there because it’s “the only one she can get into”.
She added: “It’s not just Bucksburn residents affected, people come from all over to use it.”
Despite being silenced as their hopes were dashed on Monday, protestors are back at the Town House and refusing to give up the fight. pic.twitter.com/lYNcxBLkAJ
— Ben Hendry (@BenHendry1) March 29, 2023
Legal eagle needed to help save beloved pool
Leading campaigner Kirsty Fraser told us: “We are in touch with RGU law students, this is what we really need now.
“We would be looking for someone to take this on pro bono.
“Any legal case would mainly be about a breach of the Equalities Act and discrimination.
“Bucksburn is a deprived area, and this is affecting vulnerable people. We don’t think the correct studies were performed.”
Library campaigners considering legal fight too amid fears buildings will be ‘left to rot’
They took the step of contacting Humza Yousaf directly on Twitter after being “silenced” by council leaders who “don’t want to listen to us”.
But the library campaigners are also exploring legal action to save their venues.
Karen Barrett-Ayres, who goes to Ferryhill Library, attended the protests the morning after Cults closed for good on Tuesday.
Cornhill, Woodside and Kaimhill will shut on Thursday, followed by her own cherished branch and Northfield on Friday.
She said: “As Carnegie libraries, both Ferryhill and Woodside have protected status. That means they can only be used as libraries.
“So they might be boarded up and left to rot.
“We are hoping to use this as the basis of a legal challenge.”
💬 "Libraries are so much more than books. They’re about people, and about communities."
Peter Reid, Professor of Librarianship and lecturer at RGU has offered this thoughts on the topical library debate.@BanffshireProf | @silvercitylibs | Read in full🔽https://t.co/BtBWhe5ufg
— Robert Gordon University (RGU) (@RobertGordonUni) March 29, 2023
Has this happened before?
A decade ago, activists in Moray threatened to take the local authority to court over the closure of seven libraries.
They climbed down when the council U-turned, leaving three of them open.
Campaign leader Vivien Hendry sad there remained “grounds for judicial review”, but that a “protracted” court case would not be in anyone’s best interests.
Does council think cuts could cuts be reversed in court?
During the meeting on Monday, council officials stressed there should be no scope for any of the cuts to be legally challenged.
Labour’s Deena Tissera asked about the closures “going against” various acts.
Legal expert Alan Thomson answered: “Legal implications have been considered as part of the decision. There are none.”
Officers also insisted an “integrated impact assessment” was performed examining the impact in Aberdeen communities.
You can watch the five-hour meeting here.
Conversation