South Ayrshire Council slashes spending

Feb 20 2009

SERVICES and jobs will disappear as South Ayrshire Council wielded an axe to slash nearly £7.5 million from its spending.

And council leader Hugh Hunter admits ‘unpalatable decisions’ had to be made in the name of balancing the books.

Chief casualties are the Gaiety Theatre, Dalmilling Golf Course, sports barns in Dailly and Tarbolton, and registrar’s offices in Maybole and Troon.

The council will also now go ahead with closure of Pets’ Corner at Belleisle Park in Ayr, after a one-year delay.

There will be a five per cent increase in meals on wheels, community alarms, home care, respite and care homes.

And almost £1.25 million will be saved with a review of services for people with learning difficulties.

Beaches will also suffer as a result with the standard of cleaning set to drop to accommodate a £25,000 budget cut.

More public loos are also going, and the council will charge for making special uplifts of large items put out for the bin men.

These cuts come on top of Girvan Swimming Pool and Ayr’s Templeton House care home – both axed before the budget.

Councillor Hunter praised his ruling minority Conservative administration for taking tough decisions.

And he applauded both the SNP and Independent councillors for their input into the budget working group proposals.

But he had nothing but scorn for the seven Labour councillors, saying they hadn’t even prepared an alternative budget of their own.

Despite the cuts, South Ayrshire Council is actually spending £8.5 million more than it did last year.

And its total planned expenditure for 2009/10 is nearly £267.5 million.

This includes an extra nearly £1.7 million from the Scottish Office, for keeping the council tax frozen.

Councillor Hunter pointed to new schools and modernised care service, and urged councillors to support the budget proposals.

Seconding Councillor Hunter, SNP leader Councillor Nan McFarlane said: “It’s no easy task squaring the books while holding on to our political beliefs and aspirations.”

And she blasted ‘a legacy of neglect’ left by previous Labour administrations.

But Labour leader Councillor John McDowall slammed the administration’s ‘reverse consultation’.

He said: “They cut facilities then say to people ‘We want to discuss what to do about a problem we have just created’.”

Councillor McDowall said Labour didn’t join in the budget working group because of Councillor Hunter’s insistence that the outcome must be accepted by all.

Councillor McDowall said: “Our job is opposition, and there must be recognition of that role.”

Twelve Conservatives, eight SNP and three Independents ensured a 23-7 vote in favour of the budget proposals.

Seven Labour councillors backed Councillor McDowall’s unsuccessful amendment that sought to delay budget proposals for two weeks’ public consultation.