Larkhall councillors have told how they are backing local residents in their campaign for a full-sized sports hall with games courts to be included in the area’s new £24 million leisure centre.
Ward members Richard Nelson of the Conservatives and Ross Clark of the SNP both say the planned replacement facility – on which construction is set to begin this summer – will not meet local needs and that proposals to use games hall space at neighbouring Larkhall Academy will not give sufficient provision.
An online petition calling for the plans to be revisited has gained 1200 signatures, but South Lanarkshire Council have said the planned centre with a pool, gym, sauna and community space is the authority’s “biggest project outside the secondary school estate” while a like-for-like games hall replacement “does not fit into the affordability envelope”.
Councillor Nelson says he has been exploring attempts to increase the budget for the new centre, telling Lanarkshire Live: “Over the past week, I have been in discussions with council officers and the administration regarding more potential funding streams, as the current plans do not meet with what Larkhall needs.
“These talks are ongoing, and I am determined to explore every possible avenue to ensure that the community gets the facility it deserves. However, I must express my concerns regarding the current design proposals and, more importantly, the lack of meaningful community engagement throughout this process.”
He added: “The people of Larkhall have already lost so much over the years, and it is vital that any new development truly reflects their needs and priorities. The council’s suggestion of a dual-use facility with Larkhall Academy is simply not an acceptable solution.
“Our community requires a dedicated, fully equipped leisure centre, not a compromise that limits accessibility and usage for residents. Moving forward, I will continue to challenge these proposals and push for a plan that genuinely benefits Larkhall.
“I stand firmly with the residents in their renewed campaign efforts, and in the coming weeks, we will be ramping up our engagement – through meetings, petitions, and public advocacy – to ensure that our voices are heard loud and clear.
“This issue is too important to be overlooked, and I remain fully committed to fighting for a proper leisure centre that meets the needs of Larkhall now and in the future.”
Ward colleague Councillor Clark told Lanarkshire Live: “The people of Larkhall rightly want the best possible leisure centre for our community – it is what they deserve. The latest meeting reinforced that desire, and it has been made clear ever since the plans were published that the current proposals are simply not good enough.
“The one court-sized hall with the proposal to share facilities with the high school is not sufficient to meet the needs of a community the size of Larkhall. Residents must be listened to, and I will continue to support the community as we put pressure on the council and make our views known that Larkhall deserves better.”
More than 50 residents attended a busy public meeting arranged by Larkhall Community Council and Larkhall Plan Partnership, and are redoubling their efforts to call for sports provision to be contained within the new leisure centre rather than requiring the use of facilities when available at neighbouring Larkhall Academy.
Council leader Joe Fagan said: “Larkhall Leisure Centre is, by a huge margin, the biggest investment the council is currently planning in a new facility anywhere in South Lanarkshire. We have consulted with local people to plan the best possible centre we can get within the budget that is available.
“My administration inherited a budget of just £9m for the project, but when it became clear that this would be well short of what was required, £23.9m was secured by pulling together many different strands of funding. While it has not been possible to include a larger games areas within even this expanded budget, we are progressing with plans to open up the games halls within next-door Larkhall Academy to community use.
“Larkhall needs a new leisure centre and we are going to build one – but we can only promise what we can afford to deliver. We will continue to engage with the community on our exciting plans for the area.”
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