Kirkcaldy folk hot and bothered over sauna closure

The operators of Kirkcaldy leisure centre have been forced to apologise after complaints from the centre's users about the long-term closure of the sauna facility.
The suana facility has been closed for six weeks.The suana facility has been closed for six weeks.
The suana facility has been closed for six weeks.

The sauna has been rendered out of action for the past six weeks awaiting repairs, resulting in claims from some regular users that operators Fife Sport and Leisure Trust were dragging their heels over getting it fixed.

The complaints are the latest to hit the centre which has been operational for less than five years.

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In March Fife Council, which owns the building, faced a backlash from both the public and local politicians after it was revealed the main sports hall flooring would have to be ripped up and replaced after officers admitted the wrong flooring was installed when the centre was built.

The council now faces a potential repair bill of up to £120,000 for the replacement.

“It’s very disappointing as I used the sauna every day after a swim and nobody seems to have any idea just when the sauna will reopen,” said one leisure centre season ticket holder. I know of a good few people who have stopped coming altogether.”

Responding to the criticism Paul Hossack, area leisure manager for Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, told the Press: “Recently, there has been a few repairs which have taken longer than expected.

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“The work to repair the sauna is due to be completed by the end of the week and we apologise to customers for the length of time this has taken.

“The Trust strives to minimise disruption to our customers and when necessary, we work quickly to rectify issues when they arise, however, at times, we are constrained by suppliers or availability of specialist parts.”

And he added: “As a charitable trust, we are committed to delivering the highest quality facilities and programmes so that local communities can enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of an active lifestyle.

“We therefore rely on the support of our customers to help deliver this commitment and would like to thank customers of Kirkcaldy Leisure Centre for their patience and their continued loyalty.”

The centre is one of the Trust’s busiest with around 24,000 users per month.