Aberdeen City Council will reconsider the decision made at the Council Budget meeting on 1 March 2023 which resulted in the reduction of funding to Sport Aberdeen and in particular the impact this had in the closure of Bucksburn Swimming Pool. This decision will be made at full council in December 2023.
To inform this decision Aberdeen City Council will complete a full Integrated Impact Assessment on the impact of Bucksburn Swimming pool closing. The Integrated Impact Assessment will consider what impact the closure has had on users which are related to their protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, religion and belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership. It is therefore important that all users who have been affected by the closure of the pool have a fair and equal opportunity to comment on the impact of the closures.
There will be a period of consultation from 19 September to 6 November 2023 and its purpose is to understand the impact that the closure of the pool has had on the community and in particular any impacts related to protected characteristics.
At the 1 March 2023 Council Budget meeting, £46.6 million of savings were confirmed for 2023/24. This included the decision to make savings through the reduction of funding to all the Councils ALEOs (Arms Length External Organisations - an organisation that is formally separate from the Council but owned fully or partially by the Council). Sport Aberdeen is one of the Council’s ALEOs, and it was decided by Council to reduce their funding by £687,000. As a result of the Council’s decision to reduce the funding, Sport Aberdeen ceased to operate various facilities including Bucksburn Swimming Pool
Measures were put in place to mitigate the impact of the closures. We are consulting with you to understand the impact of the closures and the effectiveness of the alternative provision in place.
Council Officers are dedicated to supporting communities to access the consultation in ways that are inclusive for all.
At the end of this survey, you will find a series of equalities questions. These are optional, however it is important for us to gather this information as it will help us to understand any impacts related to protected characteristics and ensure there is representation from all groups.
This data will be anonymised and held in line with the Bucksburn Swimming Pool Consultation privacy notice.
Consultation Survey
It is important that everyone who has been affected by the closure of Bucksburn Swimming Pool has the opportunity to have input into the assessment.
Various tools will be used to include written, digital, face to face and alternative formats to ensure participation is inclusive for all.
If you (or anyone you know) require a paper copy of the survey, please visit Bucksburn Library or Marischal Square Customer Service Centre.
A copy of the consultation is available to download. Completed consultations can be handed in to Bucksburn Library or emailed to estates@aberdeencity.gov.uk.