Getting rid of 133 council buildings, including four school swimming pools, will "take the heart out of the Falkirk Council area", a senior Labour councillor has said.
The proposals, which are due to be debated tomorrow (Tuesday), would see almost all of Falkirk Council's leisure facilities either close or transfer out of council ownership.
Falkirk Council says the closures are necessary in order to make savings and reduce the Council’s carbon footprint.
Read more: Four school swimming pools face closure as Falkirk Council plans to reduce properties
The Labour group leader, Councillor Anne Hannah, said the proposals comes straight off a Tory cuts wish-list.
Cllr Hannah said: “Nobody should be fooled by mealy-mouthed words like mothballing and community empowerment. This report is all about closures, closures that will devastate communities and the few services they still enjoy.”
Cllr Hannah claims that when Labour last held power at Holyrood, a third of Scottish Government funds went to local authorities. Last year it was less than a quarter.
“Add in the ring fencing of so much of our budget and it is clear all this pain is a direct result of the SNP government’s insatiable desire to control everything from Holyrood. The sad thing is the willingness of local SNP councillors to go along with it," she said.
“The Strategic Property Review has been going on for years.
"This administration has had eight months to bring forward a strategy. Instead, all they have brought forward is a proposal to sell off 133 properties.
“While they have given reasons for a few of these closures, they are looking for carte blanche for a wholesale massacre of council assets.
“It follows on from decisions to close Falkirk Town Hall with very little notice, and the proposal to close Blackness Primary School against the wishes of a parents’ group they said did not exist.”
“Once again, as with previous closure proposals, councillors are being asked to agree to a programme of cuts, without being given the full facts.
"A consultation exercise undertaken during lockdown - two years ago - is being cited in support of these proposals.
"No proper impact assessment has been done on the effect on people, including those protected under Equalities legislation.
"No proper analysis has been done on the loss of so many activities, and the many groups using the properties put forward for closure.
“The report is inadequate on so many fronts. We are well aware of the financial situation the council is in. This is a result of underfunding of local authorities by the Scottish Government and the inability of the previous administration to manage the budget responsibly.”
“The SNP continually tell us we need independence to get away from Conservative rule. These proposals are straight off a Tory wish-list as well as being the type of tactic used by every failing business management.”
But Falkirk Council says that the report highlights that it currently spends double the national average on sports and leisure when compared to other Councils.
This means that in some cases – such as Grangemouth Stadium – each visit costs the Council up to £9.57.
They say the costs “can no longer be absorbed, and action is required to reduce our position to or below the national average.” The transfer or closure of these building would affect 200 employees.
Malcolm Bennie, Director of Place Services, said: “We estimate the Council would need to invest more than £200 million to bring all its current buildings up to satisfactory condition. Sadly, many are expensive to run, in poor condition, under-utilised, not energy efficient nor fit for modern service delivery. We do not have that money at present.
“The Council also needs to find financial and energy savings to meet our budget position and climate change ambitions. This report proposes a way that this can be achieved and asks for permission to engage with communities to get their views on how to deliver that change. The consultation would also enable us to ensure that activity that supports the disadvantaged can continue. It is important to stress that no final decision will be taken until after the consultation in 2023.”
The leader of the Conservative group on Falkirk Council, Councillor James Kerr, said: "As a council we cannot sit and do nothing, there are difficult decision to be taken. Some of these buildings are the lifeline of the community. We will work with all groups, and the many communities to deliver the best outcomes."
An SNP spokesperson said: “It comes as no surprise that, once again, Cllr Hannah does not like the proposals brought before us by Council Officers. We have also come to expect there being no credible alternative brought forward by the Labour group, and more of the same delay tactics we have seen in the past. Falling into the same cycle which has led to the significant financial challenges that Falkirk Council faces.
“This Strategic Property Review is not the type of report any of us would want to bring forward – but it is the choice we are faced with now. The stark reality of a £69 million budget gap over the next four years, half of which must be found from this year’s budget, clearly is not getting through to Cllr Hannah.
“After years of financial mismanagement under a Labour-led administration, and five years of a frustrated minority SNP administration, perhaps it is time to gain perspective of why there are no easy options left to take.
"We thought, perhaps, that this new council would be an opportunity to face these challenges together. Instead, we are faced with a new Labour bearing the same hallmarks of old Labour – delay today, blame tomorrow and choose to recklessly ignore the cliff-edge that is rapidly approaching.”
