Aileen Campbell, SNP MSP for South of Scotland, has received a range of documents from South Lanarkshire Council in response to a Freedom of Information request about the future of the Jubilee Hall and ‘Fountain’ facility in Lesmahagow, which she claims raise more questions than they do answers about the process leading to the decision to close the Hall.

The documents show that the decision to purchase the ‘Fountain’ facility was made by the Council in November 2006, two full years before the decision to close the Jubilee Hall in November 2008.  A briefing note dated 27th February 2007 prepared by council officials also indicates that purchase of the Fountain was recommended to the Council by local Councillor Alex McInnes, but that Councillors had also requested no public announcement on the future of the Jubilee Hall be made at that time.  Over £500,000 was made available from Council reserves for the purchase of the Fountain, despite the papers indicating running costs were likely to be higher than those of the Jubilee Hall.  The information supplied states that the Council has made no assessment of the impact of the declining property market on any future sale of the Jubilee Hall, or what the cost of refurbishing and modernising the Hall would be.

Commenting, Aileen Campbell MSP said:

“The information the Council has supplied to me under the Freedom of Information Act seems to raise more questions than it answers.

“The Council found over half a million pound from its reserves to purchase the Fountain from the Auchlochan Trust, and yet decided to close the Jubilee Hall without making a full assessment of the cost of refurbishing or renovating it.

“I’m particularly concerned that back in 2007 the Council was asked by elected members not to publicise the possible closure of the Jubilee Hall, even though it was clearly considered a consequence of purchasing the Fountain.

“My recent survey in the area showed massive local opposition to the closure of the Jubilee Hall, and serious concern about the suitability of the Fountain as a replacement.  I will be visiting the Hall this Monday to meet some of the groups who use it on a regular basis.

“I will also continue to work with Lesmahagow Community Council and the relevant local Councillors to make sure the local authority is properly held to account for its actions, and to demand a rethink of the decision to close the Jubilee Hall.”