| AdminHistory | A major sports centre was part of the Corporation's early plan for Livingston, reflecting the Corporation's view that Livingston was to be a regional hub. An ambitious project was to be based on the Billingham Forum on Teeside. An initial proposal had been developed by 1972. The Corporation was to provided £372,000 from its Major Amenity Fund with the remainder of the funding for the £1.7m scheme to be split equally between Midlothian and West Lothian County Councils. The re-organisation of Local Government and the creation of Lothian Regional Council and District councils prevented the scheme from going ahead, when it was on the verge of tender in 1973. As responsibility for leisure was split between Regional and District Councils, securing agreement for such an expensive scheme was increasingly difficult. In the 1980s responsibility for leisure was transferred completely to District Councils, but without any financial compensation. This effectively ended any chance of a large sports centre being built in Livingston. A smaller sportshall was built at Craigswood in 1979, whilst the Regional Sports Centre remained on hold, before, eventually, being cancelled. In 1993 a small family orientated swimming pool - Bubbles - was built in Livingston town centre. |