Aberdeen’s iconic Beach Leisure Centre, a popular attraction for locals and visitors alike, has been being permanently closed due to severe infrastructure issues. The building is currently earmarked for demolition next year, and calls to reprioritise the £80m replacement leisure centre at the beachfront have fallen on deaf ears.
Sport Aberdeen chairman Tony Dawson has shed light on the reasons behind this difficult decision.
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Speaking to the Press and Journal, Dawson explained the extent of the damage: “The brutal fact is it’s done and can’t reopen.” He further elaborated on the critical issues plaguing the facility, stating: “The pipework underneath the floors was corroded and going to fail.”
Robertson revealed that council officials conducted a thorough inspection of the centre alongside Sport Aberdeen representatives. The findings were grim, leading to the inevitable conclusion that the facility was beyond repair and unsafe for public use.
The closure of the Beach Leisure Centre comes amid broader financial challenges. The facility had already ceased operations last year due to a combination of rising energy costs and problems with the pool plant infrastructure.
The prospect of replacing the centre with a like-for-like facility is estimated to cost approximately £1 million per year, further complicating the situation for local authorities already grappling with budget constraints.
Dawson said: “Sport Aberdeen paid for a condition survey and that showed that essential repairs were £16m – essential repairs that would not even allow us to reopen.
“To bring it up to standard, I think the estimate was around £50m.”
The £50m cost of upkeep compares to an estimate of £500,000 for the building’s demolition.
The rapid deterioration of the Beach Leisure Centre in just over 30 years since its original opening raises questions about the quality of its construction. While not explicitly stated by Robertson, the premature failure of critical infrastructure components, such as the corroded pipework, suggests potential issues with the building’s original construction or maintenance practices.
With the Beach Leisure Centre slated for demolition, the community now faces uncertainty regarding future leisure facilities in the area. The closure not only impacts recreational activities but also raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of public amenities in Aberdeen.
As the city grapples with this loss, questions about the lifespan of public buildings and the importance of robust construction and maintenance practices come to the forefront. The Beach Leisure Centre’s premature demise serves as a stark reminder of the critical need for quality infrastructure and proactive maintenance in public facilities.
