Dive in at the pool again!
RESIDENTS in the strath will once again have access to affordable swimming at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort after a deal was finally agreed after a three-month stand-off.
The breakthrough follows "extremely positive and constructive" high-level discussions between the hotel group and Highland Council.
Local Highland High Life (HLH) users have been unable to use the leisure pool since the end of August when access ended because of a funding wrangle.
Macdonald Hotels' chairman Donald Macdonald and deputy chairman Gordon Fraser met with the council's new chief executive Donna Manson in Aviemore on Tuesday and reached a one-year agreement to resolve the stalemate.
HLH users will not have to pay any additional charges which had been one of the options on the table as attempts were made to break the deadlock.
There is further good news with confirmation that HLH swimming lessons for children and aquafit will also resume.
Details of the funding arrangements have not yet been made public nor when the doors will re-open.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Fraser said: "We're extremely encouraged by the positive and constructive approach taken by Donna Manson and her team and are very happy that we have reached an agreement which will see the local High Life Highland members enjoying the facilities at Aviemore Resort very soon.
"We understand that local authorities throughout the country are facing financial pressures and that there is a clear responsibility to spend tax-payers' money wisely.
"We were also encouraged by the recognition of our own position that we have had to swallow a wide range of very significant cost increases in rates, energy bills and staffing costs over the past 12 months."
Mr Fraser continued: "It's clear that both we and the council were very keen to welcome back local people and reach a clear and swift resolution to what has been an unfortunate situation for everyone concerned, and particularly for the many local High Life Highland members.
"For our part, we are very keen to have our local guests back through the doors, and I know that members of the local community will be happy that this matter has been resolved."
The new agreement will allow time for further consultation on public access to the leisure facilities in future years.
Highland Council convener Bill Lobban, who lives in Aviemore, said: "I am delighted that a sensible agreement has been reached.
"This new deal is great news for Highland Council, High Life Highland and Macdonald Aviemore Resort but most importantly it's fantastic news for the residents of Badenoch and Strathspey.
"The swimming pool is a well-used, important attraction and I would like to congratulate the staff from both sides who have worked really hard behind the scenes to get this result and more especially members of the local community who made sure that their voice was heard in the process.
"Well done to all."
A positive community campaign had been launched called Save Our Swimming 2018 (SOS) following the doors closing to HLH users at the end of the summer.
SOS co-ordinator Joe Kirby described the agreement as a fantastic result for all the parties.
He said: "It is great that the council and Macdonald Hotels have listened to the concerns of the community and that a pragmatic return to talks has delivered this deal.
"I know as a father myself that folk across the strath will be really looking forward to getting backing into the swimming pool with their children and other families members.
"I'd like to thank everyone who wrote correspondence to Macdonald Hotels, attended the public meetings and demonstrations and who helped to fund the SOS 2018 campaign.
"It all goes to show what can be achieve with a bit of community spirit."
Judith Thurlow, chair of Aviemore Primary School parents council, was also absolutely delighted.
"This is a lifeline for so many members of our community and an essential skill for the local children to learn," she said.
"Thank you to everyone in the community who has persevered, shown great resilience and played a part in reaching this really positive outcome."
Pupils from the school had written to Mr Macdonald imploring him to let them go swimming again and local GPs and aquafit users – some in their eighties – had also gone public with their health concerns.
There had also been several peaceful protests at the resort by SOS 2018 in the aftermath of the decision.
The Strathy tried yesterday to contact the council and Macdonald Hotels for further information on the new funding arrangements and when the doors will actually re-open for HLH cardholders but there was no response.
It is understood the hotel giant had initially in the spring asked for £200,000 in year one; £213,000 in year two and £223,000 in the final year to maintain access to the pool. The council's initial offer was to continue to pay £180,000 per year but later upped that to include index linked increases either CPI or 2.5 per cent and users also paying £1.50 (individual) or £3 per family fixed for the three-year period.
