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Dollan Aqua Centre – £500,000 Grant Award

The Dollan Aqua Centre Closed on Sunday, 26th October 2008.

Last updated Friday 19th Decemebr 2008

Funding for the repair and refurbishment of the Dollan Aqua Centre in East Kilbride received a tremendous £500,000 boost recently when South Lanarkshire Council received an investment from sportscotland.

The centre is currently closed for specialist survey works prior to the start of the £6.437m repairs programme set to begin early in 2009 which will give the Grade A Listed property a new lease of life.

Commenting on the Award, Councillor Gerry Convery, Chair of Community Resources said: "This is a fantastic award the Council has secured and will safeguard the future of such an iconic facility in East Kilbride. It is the latest in a number of successful partnership projects with sportscotland that has seen the improvement of facilities across a range of sporting venues throughout the Council area".

Louise Martin CBE, Chair of sportscotland said: "sportscotland is delighted to provide this £500,000 investment to South Lanarkshire Council towards the refurbishment of the Dollan Aqua Centre, securing the long-term future of this important facility. The refurbished pool will provide improved swimming opportunities for the people of East Kilbride as well as securing an essential training and competition venue for our elite swimmers and squads."

The sportscotland funding will be specifically targeted on:
• Replacement of pool filtration and dosing plant
• Retiling of pool tank and surrounds
• Refurbishment of changing village
• Decoration
• Disabled access improvements
• Kitchen/ café refurbishments

In carrying out routine inspection of the Dollan Aqua Centre, the Council's engineers noted some deterioration in the condition of the concrete structure of the building. Further surveys of the building structure have been commissioned and other building elements are being looked at to gain a complete picture of what repairs may be necessary.

The Dollan Aqua Centre is a listed building and the Council has therefore been in continuous contact with Historic Scotland to get advice from them on a number of aspects of the proposed repairs. Their guidance has been taken to prepare for sensitive repair and refurbishment of the building elements highlighted by the survey work.

The Dollan Aqua Centre is used by almost 7,000 customers every week, is one of only five 50m competition pools in Scotland and is one of the Council's key strategic leisure assets.

This Grade A listed building dates from 1968 with an extension developed in 1994. The facility is managed on behalf of the Council by South Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd and offers:
• A 50m swimming pool with floating floor
• Fitness Gym offering cardio vascular and resistance equipment to suit all ages and fitness levels
• Dance Studio with integral sound system and wood sprung floor where a variety of dance and exercise activities can take place
• Sauna and Steam Room facilities
• Pool changing village featuring disabled facilities, family change booths, school class changing areas etc.
• Dry changing accommodation for gym and fitness users
• Café area.