THE Alva pool and sports complex will be handed back over to Clackmannanshire Council.

In September an electrical fire forced social enterprise Ochil Leisure Enterprises (OLE) – which has run the facility as Ochil Leisure Centre (OLC) since it was taken on by the community – to close the doors for the foreseeable future.

It caused irreparable damage to an electrical panel and other items of equipment, but OLE were initially hopeful that with the right support, from the community, local authority and with the imminent numerous funding bids, it would be able to get through the setback.

However, due to the cost of maintaining the facility even in a closed state, with no income, the centre is no longer viable and the Board of Directors have taken the difficult decision to hand it back to the local authority.

OLE chairperson, Pastor David Fraser, said in the four years since the community decided to challenge the council’s decision to demolish the building, it had been a wonderful, challenging and fantastically varied journey.

He said: “Whilst our building let us down one time too many, and our ambitious venture didn’t have the ending we hoped for, we want to remind people about what we did achieve.

“We gave people jobs and volunteering opportunities, we helped young people gain lifeguarding qualifications, we offered seasonal activity programmes for children and young people, hosted birthday parties, ran fitness classes, taught over 300 children in our Learn to Swim Programme, we even won nationally acclaimed awards for our efforts; and above all we helped make our community that little bit better.” The Queen Street facility will be handed back over to the council early in 2015 and, being surplus to requirements, officers will examine the options for future redevelopment, including the demolition of the building.

Pastor Fraser extended sincerest thanks to everyone who has shown support for the venture over the years.