Bid to reinstate diving pool with £70,000 funds

A bid to reinstate diving facilities at Ayr’s Citadel Leisure Centre, using £70,000 of council reserves for one year, is set to go before South Ayrshire Council this week.

The motion has been lodged by Labour group leader, Councillor Duncan Townson and seconded by Councillor Cameron Ramsay, and calls on the local authority to reverse an earlier decision to remove diving provision at the pool.

Councillors are being asked to agree to reconsider the previous decision and temporarily restore diving from the three and five-metre platforms for one year.

Under council rules, a two-thirds majority is required to approve the motion.

The proposal would see £70,879 allocated from council reserves during the 2026/27 financial year to cover the reinstatement.

According to the motion, this would include £10,000 to mitigate savings linked to the reduction in diving provision, and £20,879 for additional energy costs associated with operating the flexi-pool.

£40,000 would also be included to offset the anticipated loss of income included within agreed budget savings.

If approved, council officers would also be instructed to bring back a further report within the year examining longer-term options for diving provision.

That report would look at the feasibility, capital costs and ongoing revenue implications of installing a removable diving board, replacing existing diving boards or developing an alternative diving facility.

The Citadel pool has long been used for diving lessons and training, with concerns previously raised locally about the impact removing the facility could have on clubs and young athletes.

It was also the last diving pool in the west of the country, with the others in the East and North East of Scotland.

The motion is due to be considered at a meeting of South Ayrshire Council this week.