The resurrection of “significantly deteriorated” Bucksburn Swimming Pool will cost Aberdeen city leaders an extra £1 million.
A fresh dossier has revealed further details on the state of the community facility, said to have fallen into decay since its controversial closure in March 2023.
The pool fell victim to last year’s budget cuts, which also resulted in the closure of six Aberdeen libraries.
It caused widespread protest from residents, who vowed to save their beloved swimming pool at any cost.
And in a shambolic U-turn just a few months later, red-faced council chiefs decided to reinstate it to avoid a pricey legal battle.
But the celebrations in the Aberdeen suburb died down long ago, and residents are now left wondering when they will ever be able to go back in.
What’s the state of Bucksburn Swimming Pool now?
Documents now show that the hard-up council will have to put aside an extra £1m from next year’s budget to bring Bucksburn Swimming Pool up to scratch before it can reopen.
It is expected the total cost of recommissioning would climb up to £2.1m – double the initially projected price tag on the refurbishment.
A report which went before councillors says the “full project scope” could not be delivered without additional funding.
Council officers add: “The internal fabric of the building has deteriorated significantly since Sport Aberdeen closed that facility.
“To bring it back into use, and ensure it is an asset within the community for years to come, the recommendation is to upgrade the condition before reopening.”
At a meeting on Thursday September 12, the extra £1m spend was agreed.
Finance convener Alex McLellan said: “We are committed to seeing the Bucksburn Swimming Pool re-open, and the upgrade works will ensure it is a real asset for the community for years to come.”
What need to be done to reopen Bucksburn Swimming Pool?
The leisure venue, which is run by the council’s arms-length charity Sport Aberdeen, was already in need of repairs prior to its closure.
And after the local authority shut its doors, it was stripped down to the bone – with photos showing the insides laying dry and barren.
The pool now needs to be done up and all of the furniture returned to its rightful place before people are once again allowed in for a dip.
When will it all happen?
Council officers initially estimated the facility could be ready by the end of this year or early in 2025.
However, this timeline has now been pushed due to the amount of work it requires.
A spokeswoman for the campaign group who fought to bring the pool back to life accused the council of “dragging its feet”.
She added: “We are growing increasingly disillusioned with our elected officials and their judgement.”
What does Sport Aberdeen say?
In an exclusive interview with The Press and Journal, Sport Aberdeen chief executive Keith Heslop said physical work to revitalise the pool hasn’t even begun yet.
He added: “Sport Aberdeen is indirectly involved but the council is driving this, and they are still looking at the upgrades required and scoping out the work.
“We want to ensure the work is done right and done once and, personally, I would be surprised if [physical works] started this year.
“Therefore, I think you’re looking at it not opening until 2025 or 2026.”
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