Sports centre Sunday vote

Sunday opening of the Lewis sports centre has been voted down by Western Isles Council.

Full council puts sports centre Sunday opening to vote

5 October 2016

On Wednesday evening the council voted 19-9 against a motion for a year's trial run to open for three hours each Sunday.

Earlier the council's policy committee heard costs are estimated between £15,600 to £17,100 at a time when council services are under financial pressure though that could be offset by income raised from users fees and any increase in memberships that result from the additional opening hours.

Following a consultation of permanent staff , not enough sports centre workers indicated they were willing to work on Sundays, the meeting heard.

All sports centre staff - including those who do not want to work on Sundays - would have to be consulted over changing their job contracts if any trial led to longer hours opening.

The full council was told the Stornoway sports centre currently opened for 84 hours weekly, more than similar facilities across the Western Isles.

Stornoway councillor, Philip Mclean, said some of the £78,500 the council claims to save annually by not having seven day opening should be used to underwrite the trial.

Earlier he said: "Access is denied to people of different faiths and people of no faith," as well as visitors and tourists.

To nods from pro-opening supporters in the audience, Cllr Donnie Steele of South Uist claimed he was told “staff felt intimidated when asked to work on Sundays.”

Cllr Neil Beaton of North Uist received a round of applause when he stated: “I feel really sorry for the people denied the opportunities and freedom we enjoy in the Southern Isles. The council will probably live to regret this decision.”

One woman spectator shouted: “Give people a choice.”

Cllr Donald Manford of Barra abstained in the vote saying the decision should be left to councillors elected by people in the area affected.

He said the two different cultural traditions between the north and south of the Western Isles were always respected so it would be would be “wrong to use my vote” to influence a sensitive change in Lewis.

Zena Stewart suggested the sports centre could close on a less used weekday and operate on Sundays.

There is “no threat. I can’t see where the fear is coming from,” she stated.