Falkirk Council: Mums fight to keep Polmonthill dry ski slope open

Karolina Surmacz’s daughter Gabby, eight, loves her skiing lessons and was devastated to learn that Polmonthill Snowsport Centre could close as part of Falkirk Council’s strategic property review. In response, Karolina started a petition urging the council to keep the snowsports centre open, which has been signed by more than 2200 people.

For Gabby, being on the slopes is a chance to be outdoors and having fun. For mum Karolina, it’s a chance for Gabby and her three-year-old brother, Jamie, to acquire skills and confidence that will last them for the rest of their lives.

Tucked away out of sight, the centre is just minutes away from Junction 4 of the M9 motorway, with a 100 metre ski slope and a little nursery slop where beginners can gain confidence. It is used by around 300-320 people every week and is particularly busy after school and on Saturdays.

“The instructors here are absolutely brilliant with the children and the prices are so reasonable,” said Karolina, who herself goes to the centre for snowboarding lessons.

Instruction including equipment hire is £15 for an hour for adults and £9 for children, for both skiing and snowboarding. An hour’s practice is £5 for children and £8 for an adult, while schools are charged £6.25 per pupil.

“The centre is really busy and people who go there absolutely love it. My daughter was devastated when she found out that it is on the list for potential closure,” said Karolina. “It’s not been invested in and that’s a great shame. There are so many closures in Falkirk and it would be such a shame for children. “It keeps them off the screets, gets them outdoors and gives them something they love doing.”

But Karolina is concerned that closing the centre would put the hobby out of most people’s price range.

“People say that skiing and snowboarding are elitist sports but this centre is so reasonable and so handy for so many people,” she said.

She points to a number of national events where Braes High School pupils do very well in competitions that are dominated by private schools.

“If the centre closes then skiing will be an elite sport and Falkirk Council is supposed to be a place of equal opportunities.”

The centre is also used by people who enjoy racing, including eight-year-old Charlie, who glides down the 100 metre slope in seconds. Charlie said: “It’s a great sport. I’ve made a lot of friends and it’s really fun once you get the hang of it.”

Gabby has been taking lessons for around a year and really enjoys it. “It’s a really fun sport – it’s my favourite,” she says. “I like being outdoors and I would be very sad if this place was to close.”

Falkirk Council’s strategic property review will see 133 properties across Falkirk – mostly community and leisure facilities – either close or transfer out of council hands.

Karolina believes closing the snowsports centre would be a huge mistake at a time when children are being encouraged to be more active to improve their mental and physical health.

But the council has a budget gap of £67 million to plug and says it simply cannot afford to keep facilities open. It hopes that many of those on the list, which includes community centres and town halls, will be taken over by community groups, using an asset transfer.

Grangemouth Golf Club, which is right beside the snowsports centre, is one of a handful of properties that have already been taken over in this way.

But Karolina is concerned that such a specialist resource could not be run by the community – and she says its vital to keep it affordable. She has been discussing the centre’s future with other like-minded parents and they agree that much more could be done to promote the centre, particularly to local schools.

They also believes more could be done to access funding and generate income for the centre in a bid to stop it closing.

“The council has said it doesn’t want to stop services – well, if this closes this will stop,” said Karolina. “For many people who love to ski, this will be the end of it. So many generations have used this slope. It gave them the possibility to go skiiing in Scotland and it meant families could enjoy holidays together.”

Most importantly, however, Karolina believes that the loss of so many sports facilities is a recipe for disaster when it comes to children’s mental health, especially in the wake of Covid, adding: “Their mental health and well-being should be an absolute priority.”

The mums who are hoping to keep the centre open are willing to look at lots of options including other funding sources and sponsorship.

Falkirk Council has faced growing anger from communities since it announced its intention to close or transfer 133 buildings from council ownership, saying it simply cannot afford to run them any more.

But the council says it owns too many buildings that are “ageing, in poor condition and require investment of around £200m to avoid unexpected closures, money we simply do not have”.

A consultation on Falkirk Council’s strategic property review is ongoing.