BUNCRANA Leisure Centre has warned that it is still running up huge costs, because it doesn’t have enough money to run it.
A spokesman also commented extensively on what he called “rumours” relating to the swimming pool which is run on a voluntary basis.
He said he wanted to clarify a number of issues concerning the use of consultants for forthcoming building work.
“We just want to clarify rumors that have been circulating. Buncrana Leisure Centre were awarded a grant of 2.8 million euros almost 10 years ago from The Swimming Pools Fund.
“Buncrana Leisure Centre Committee had no input into the selection of a design team for this project & that is why the appointment of a Design team took until recently.
“Donegal County Council were in total control of all appointments. After much badgering on our part, in the past few months a Design Team has been appointed by the DCC,” he said.
He went on: “The firm is from Dublin but these people will only draw up preliminary plans which will then go out to public tender. This tender will be open to all local builders & we are hopeful & WILL BE INSISTING that a local builder will get the contract for the refurbishment of the centre.
“Of course if the refurbishment is to go ahead then we will have to raise 20% in matching funding so please continue to support us in our efforts to make this a State of the Art facility for the people of Inishowen.
“Furthermore, one report said that Buncrana Town Council gave us the grant of 60,000 (a pittance when you consider that we use approx. 2000 euros of oil per week to heat the pool), this was inaccurate, it is the Donegal County Council that provides this grant.”
But he warned: “We would ask the community to please use the centre & support our fundraising activities as without their help the Centre is in real danger of closure. Overheads are outweighing income & we cannot continue like this.”
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