Councillors to decide location of Council’s gymnastics programme
Councillors will decide where to run Falkirk Council’s popular Gymnastics Programme at the upcoming full Council meeting later this month.
The programme is currently delivered from Carron Gymnastics Centre, but this building is subject to a potential Community Asset Transfer by Stenhousemuir Gymnastics Club. If this does not progress, then the building will close.
Given this uncertainty, officers are recommending the Council’s gymnastics programme is relocated to the Mariner Centre and Larbert High School.
Such a move will protect the delivery of the programme, avoid significant disruption for nearly 1,000 gymnastics participants, improve accessibility for those with additional requirements, and potentially increase income.
Strategic Property Review
The Carron Gymnastics Centre is part of the Strategic Property Review (SPR), which is looking to reduce the number of buildings the Council owns and operates from in order to save money and reduce carbon emissions. The building needs more than £550,000 in maintenance work if it was to be retained by the Council.
The report recommends the Stenhousemuir Gymnastics Club continue to be given support with their Community Asset Transfer plans, with fixed apparatus left behind to support the gymnastics club’s current operations.
If approved, the shift of the Council’s gymnastics programme to the Mariner Centre and Larbert High School would occur between August and October 2025, and involve minor construction works and new equipment purchases totalling around £110k.
The relocation would also look to improve gymnastics resources, create more programme capacity and introduce dedicated Additional Support Needs (ASN) sessions.
As part of the Council’s property review and for all other Phase 3 properties, a validatable Community Asset Transfer application and business plan must be submitted by Stenhousemuir Gymnastics Club by 1 October 2025.
Malcolm Bennie, Director of Place Services, said:
Our priority is to protect the delivery of the Council’s gymnastics programme which hundreds and hundreds of young people in the area currently enjoy and benefit from.
“Relocating to the Mariner Centre and Larbert High School would do just that, as well as save money and provide enhanced facilities and accessibility for all participants.
“At the same time, our teams would continue to support Stenhousemuir Gymnastics Club’s ambitions for Community Asset Transfer which we really hope are successful.
The full Council meeting will take place on 26 June 2025.