Letters / There is still time to act
The announcement on 16 January of the closure of Scalloway Pool, with just 10 weeks’ notice and no consultation, was shocking.
Publicly available information does not justify this decision. SRT’s overspend has fallen dramatically from £2.35m in 2022/23 to £222k in 2024/25. Its 2025 trustees’ report states the trust is a going concern, expects a small surplus in 2025/26, and has funding support in place from SCT until 2030.
SCT provides around 60 per cent of SRT’s funding, yet closure of Scalloway Pool appears to contradict SCT’s own 2025–30 strategy, which prioritises community facilities. SCT meeting minutes through 2025 show no recorded concern about SRT’s financial position, despite SCT reporting gains of £68.7m.
Key questions remain unanswered:
- Have SRT and SCT discussed this closure?
- Has additional funding been requested?
- Have the full consequences been assessed?
The public has not been given these answers, which falls short of good governance.
The Shetland Islands Council, another major stakeholder and user of SRT facilities, has been notably quiet, despite the wider impact this closure would have across Shetland.
Public opposition is clear: a petition launched on 24 January gathered over 2,000 signatures in one week.
Closing Scalloway Pool appears to offer minimal financial benefit while causing significant community harm. No facility should be closed without transparent justification and proper consultation.
There is still time to act. SRT must state what funding is required to prevent closure, SCT trustees must place this issue on the 19 February agenda, and SIC must help find a solution.
At minimum, the closure should be paused for six months to allow full consultation based on the true financial position.
Tommy Clark
Scalloway
