COWDENBEATH MSP Annabelle Ewing has hit out the planned cuts in opening hours at Bowhill Pool and Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre.

Ms Ewing has expressed her disappointment and concern at plans to reduce opening hours at the Bowhill and Cowdenbeath Swimming Pools in her constituency.

Ms Ewing has written to the Chief Executive of Fife Council and the Chief Operating Officer Fife Sports and Leisure Trust with correspondence copied to the chief executive of sportscotland, Scottish Swimming and the Scottish Government’s Sports Minister.

Bowhill Pool (pictured) is set to lose hours in the mornings.

Explaining her concerns, Ms Ewing said: “I am very concerned, indeed, at the plans to reduce opening hours for the Bowhill and Cowdenbeath swimming pools.

"This is a short-sighted approach and communities are not being well-served in this regard by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust".

She added: “These pools are important community facilities, indeed the Bowhill pool, in Cardenden, was built with contributions from miners’ wages.

“I have serious questions about the lack of transparency there has been in the decision making process and the lack of engagement with the public in general, with local Community Councils and with users".

The MSP concluded: “How can these plans sit alongside key Fife Council objective of promoting health and well being?

"Or the Scottish Government’s physical activity policies, for example. We should be encouraging more use of these pools not cutting back on their availability.

“There has been no transparency regarding the financial modelling which apparently underpins these cuts in hours and I am calling on the Chief Executive of Fife Council to now conduct a view of both the policy and the process.”