Ex-Tory councillors slam South Ayrshire cuts

Mar 6 2009

TOP facilities like the Gaiety, Dalmilling golf course and Girvan swimming pool could have been saved.

That’s the view of two former Tory councillors who reckon their successors are making huge mistakes.

Tony Lewis and Arthur Spurling insist hard hitting budget cuts could have been avoided.

And they’ve called on the current Tories to waken up before South Ayrshire “disintegrates” around them.

Mr Spurling, who represented Dundonald and Loans, says plans were put in place during his time to protect frontline facilities like the Gaiety.

He confessed: “Gibson Macdonald must be turning in his grave after all the work four of his councillors undertook to evaluate the creation of trusts for these and other areas of council commodities.

“Many hundreds of hours, many miles and many reports were written showing the findings of other councils both in the UK and in Europe.

“Surely we will not have a change of strategy in council every four years, for if we do it is no wonder that we find ourselves in an ever-deepening hole.

“Short-term solutions are a recipe for disaster, and not moving toward trusts could produce greater problems in a few years time when there is nothing left to cut.”

Those words are echoed by Mr Lewis, who represented Coylton and Minishant during his time as a councillor.

He stressed: “I am disappointed that ideas of the previous administration to consider alternative management and funding for the Gaiety and leisure facilities have fallen by the wayside, as these were possibly the sensible way out of the conundrum.

“However, we are where we are and South Ayrshire Council, by trying to control everything, have now reached the point where things are either falling or disintegrating about their ears with little hope of retrieving the situation.

“Closing Dalmilling golf course is a proposal too far. Apart from the fact that this is apparently a well patronised facility, Ayr should not lose a vital green space area along the periphery to the town.

“We don’t need wall to wall housing and there are already sites for new schools, we just need to knock down the old ones.”

And Mr Lewis added: “It is time for radical change and this has to come from the top. Our vote should go to the people that not only propose but will deliver real change, their time is nearly here at last.”