Wednesday March 4th 2026
Armadale's swimming pool was shuttered in August 2023
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
Armadale’s mothballed swimming pool could face demolition unless a new community use can be found by June.
West Lothian’s Executive this week agreed to an eight-week community consultation to determine its future. It rejected a bid from the SNP to delay any decision for six months – dismissing the move as an election ploy.
And Lib Dem councillor Sally Pattle told the meeting that she was “flabbergasted” that the pool had remained filled and maintained behind the shuttered doors since it closed in August 2023.
David Baird, the council’s Property Services Manager told the meeting that an eight- week community consultation was proposed to find a future for the building.
Mr Baird said that initial talks with the local football club Armadale Thistle, whose Volunteer Park adjoins the pool site in the centre of the town had come to nothing.
In a report to the Executive he said: “Despite the best efforts of all parties and due largely to a lack of volunteers and community support, after a period of more than twelve months ATFC have unfortunately been unable to make any tangible progress on their initial proposals and, given the ongoing holding costs being incurred by the council alongside growing questions around the building’s future use, officers have advised ATFC that an alternative proposal for the former swimming pool must now be taken forward.”
Mr Baird told the meeting: “Having exhausted the discussions with ATFC…, approval is sought for a statutory eight week common good community consultation to advertise the former pool building for sale or lease on the open market, with any future net proceeds being allocated to the Armadale Common Good Fund.
“The community consultation should clarify what would happen to the property in the event of no offers being received. Officers consider in that scenario it would be in the best interests both of the council and the Armadale Common Good Fund for the property to be demolished and it is recommended that this should be included and confirmed in the community consultation.”
Councillor Pattle said: “I am absolutely flabbergasted to learn that this pool has remained filled and chemically treated and heated for about two years now.. How much money has been spent?”
Mr Baird said the pool was not heated. The decision had been to maintain the pool should it be transferred to another potential owner for continued use.
He added: “As soon as you remove water from a pool tiles spring, pumps seize up. I don’t have exact figures to hand but I can circulate those.”
He said the building remained alarmed and secured.
Answering questions from the SNP, Mr Baird promised a “robust consultation process”.
SNP depute group leader Councillor Pauline Stafford proposed an amendment calling to delay a decision for six months to allow the community to work up new proposals for the building under Community Wealth Building legislation passed last month in Holyrood.
The SNP amendment claimed: “this pause will provide the local community with an opportunity to develop and present a viable proposal to retain and repurpose the former swimming pool building for community benefit.”
Councillor Stafford told the meeting: “This is a Common Good building. It belongs fundamentally to the people of Armadale and across the town.
“I think there is a clear desire to see this brought back into use in a way that delivers a lasting benefit to that community.
“We’ve seen decisions on Common Good on other community facilities rushed through and, in the case of Bubbles,[the Livingston pool] demolished without elected members being involved in that decision and I don’t want to see this happening in Armadale.”
She said the building should be viewed in the context of the Locality Plan for the town which commits the council to reducing inequalities and increasing and expanding community provision for young people.
“I think this building could be central to that.”
“I think we should pause here, this is a really important and central building in Armadale and I don’t want to see another derelict site in this community. Armadale needs more facilities, not fewer”
She said that the Armadale Community Centre Management committee could become involved in managing community assets when the changes are imposed on community centres in April.
Councillor Janet Campbell, the SNP group leader said her Broxburn ward had also lost its swimming pool to closure, vandalism and demolition adding: “I would hate to think the same thing would happen in Armadale, a community and an area in desperate need of facilities such as this.”
Councillor Tom Conn said: “Not for the first time we have an amendment from the SNP that’s long on words and waffle. They seem to forget the situation regarding Armadale, and Bubbles and Howden Park centre were financially a burden for West Lothian Leisure and that’s why they had to come to the council.”
He said the proposal to stall a consultation for six months was “bizarre,” adding: “eight week consultation could actually be the catalyst for the start of meaningful discussion with the community.”
Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick: “If this was to be delayed for six months the building would deteriorate further. On the basis of what we know there is no evidence of a clear community desire to see it brought back into use. There are alternative swimming facilities locally.
“It is a fact that it was closed due to very little use and running at a significant loss.”
Councillor Fitzpatrick said that if the council looked to the new Community Weath Building Act it would still have to bid for money and await a decision. He pointed to fact the council was still awaiting a decision on the £15m the it had asked Holyrood for to help with the new St Kentigern’s Academy, and he personally was still awaiting a meeting he had been promised with local MSP Angela Constance regarding funding for a new health centre in East Calder.
Turning the SNP amendment he said: “I’m sorry I view this very much as an election ploy in the run up to the Scottish Parliament elections.”
Going to the vote, the decision to launch the consultation, as well as drain the pool, was won by nine votes to four.
Tweet Share on Facebook
