Published on:
25
February 2013
Ochil Leisure Centre, the former Alva Pool, will be officially opened this Friday, 1st March.
Clackmannanshire Council Leader, Councillor Gary Womersley said: "I would wish all the people in the community and the members of OLE the very best for the future. It has taken a lot of various processes to get to this stage, but I am sure with their commitment and dedication they will make the new Ochil Leisure Centre an excellent facility for the community."
The Centre will be officially opened by Lucinda Kerr, the secretary of new owners Ochil Leisure Enterprises, who will unveil a plaque. There will also be a speech to celebrate the opening by the Council Leader
The official handover of the key from Clackmannanshire Council to the new owners of Ochil Leisure Centre took place last July, the first major step on the way to the re-opening of the facility. Numerous members of the community turned out to watch Councillor Womersley present the key to Douglas Skilling, acting chairman of OLE.
Councillors recommended to transfer the former Alva Pool complex and associated car park to Ochil Leisure Enterprises (OLE) , along with a sum of £250,000 to operate the Complex as a community facility for the benefit of the people of Alva and Clackmannanshire.
In addition OLE was awarded a grant of £10,000 from "Awards for All" in June, last year, a grant which has been used towards the cost of refurbishing the changing facilities in the swimming pool at the new Ochil Leisure Centre.
It was also agreed at the Council's Special Budget meeting earlier this month to provide £75,000 in additional support to OLE following the transfer of the asset and opening of the facility.
Mr Skilling said: "There has been a lot of work done to get to this stage. We would like to thank the many people from Clackmannanshire and beyond for their support and patience. We are delighted that Ochil Leisure Centre is finally about to be open. We hope that the people of Clackmannanshire use the facility on a regular basis."
When Alva Pool closed on 1st July, 2011, following a Special Council meeting on 10th February, 2011, previous users of the Pool were offered alternative accommodation in Council facilities, including the two main users, Alloa Swimming Club and Sports Development, who were moved to Tulliallan Swimming Pool.
This represented 80 per cent of the users of the previous Alva Pool. Other users transferred to the Alloa Leisure Bowl.