Highland Council accused of trying to scupper Nairn spa and lido bid
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THE director of an organisation hoping to deliver a spa and lido for Nairn fears Highland Council plans could threaten the future of the bid.
Iain Bruce, director of the Nairn Community Spa and Lido Ltd, said plans by Highland Council to develop the leisure centre on the seafront would scupper their own ambitions for community-owned facilities.
But the council denies trying to spoil the lido bid.
The Inner Moray Firth Delivery Programme shows £1.5 million derived over the next decade from developer contributions would be reinvested at the leisure centre. But Mr Bruce said the council already seemed to be backtracking on that plan with alternatives ideas.
“On the face of it the recent publication of Highland Council’s IMF Delivery Programme should have heralded the death knell of the lido,” he said.
“However that’s not necessarily the case as searching questions have to be asked of a local authority that seems intent on failing Nairn by its abject lack of vision and opacity of its decision making.”
He pointed out directing developer funding to the facility operated by the council’s arm’s length service provider, High Life Highland, comes after the local authority’s Nairn area committee was strongly criticised by the public services ombudsman for similar actions diverting public town centre regeneration funding to the local Citizens Advice Bureau to provide its new office.
“It’s an appalling situation,” Mr Bruce said.
He said Highland Council and High Life Highland were well aware of the proposals to revitalise the existing leisure centre being promoted on behalf of the community by the directors of Nairn Community Spa and Lido Ltd.
Nairn West and Suburban Community Council member Joan Noble said: “Effectively they are discriminating against all other community facilities to subsidise their own projects for a decade, with High Life Highland as the sole recipient.”
A Highland Council spokesman said: “Where a proposed development is anticipated to have implications for particular services and/or infrastructure the council can seek the delivery of improvements, or financial contributions, to address these issues.
“High Life Highland (HLH) provide advice on the likely impact of a proposed development on the publicly accessible leisure and learning facilities. Following a review of community leisure and learning facilities in Nairn, HLH identified Nairn leisure centre as in need of investment to alleviate current and anticipated capacity issues.
“There is absolutely no intention to spoil the bid by the spa group as this has yet to be determined by others, through the community asset transfer process.
“HLH is only advising the Highland Council in order to protect local services impacted by any proposed development and to ensure that the facilities are affordable and accessible for all, and this has been consulted on.
“It is important to note that it is a dedicated immersive spin studio and functional training space, rather than a dance studio that will be required, and that the café element has been removed from any proposed extension.”
n For more information on the lido project, visit www.nairnspandlido.com
