Scalloway pool meeting planned for early November
THE SAVE Scalloway Pool campaign group says Shetland Recreational Trust (SRT), the charitable trust and the council have agreed to attend a meeting next month about the building.
The campaign group’s Yvonne Clark said Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad has agreed to chair the meeting, which would also include community representatives and take place in early November.
But she has criticised the timing of an announcement made by pool operator SRT yesterday (Wednesday) about seeking proposals for its future use.
Clark claimed that “once again the opportunity for partnership working is being completely undermined”, given that a meeting is proposed.
The SRT said in a statement on Wednesday that it is keen for any decision and transfer to be made in early 2027 ahead of the next financial year.
It launched a move to seek proposals from individuals, interested parties and community groups for future uses of the Scalloway Pool building.
The pool closed its doors to the public at the end of March as the SRT sought to become more financially sustainable.
The trust set a deadline of 11 December for proposal, with trustees keen to avoid a “last resort” of putting the vacant building on the open market.
The SRT also issued an information pack about the pool building, including staffing costs for 2025/26 and energy use.
Clark said this document answers some of the questions from the campaign group which she said previously went unanswered.
She added that “yet again [it] gives minimum time for robust business cases to be developed”.
One previous criticism from campaigners was over how the SRT announced in January that the building would close at the end of March, with a feeling that this did not leave enough time to work up solutions.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the SRT said trustees have “deliberately maintained the mothballed building to preserve its condition while allowing time for proposals or alternative operating models to come forward”.
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It is said it is seeking views on how the building can be retained or repurposed as a valuable part of the Scalloway community.
But the SRT reiterated that the building would not be reopening as a public swimming pool within its network of leisure centres.
The SRT is the operator of the building, with the charity core-funded by Shetland Charitable Trust. Shetland Islands Council is a key customer of the SRT given the hire of facilities for activities such as swimming lessons.
More information on future uses of the Scalloway Pool can be found here.
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