Council is wrong to axe Dalmilling Golf Course

Apr 10 2009 by Stuart Wilson

COUNCIL chiefs have been urged to scrap their closure of Dalmilling golf course – by a Tory MSP.

John Scott has broken his silence to call on his Conservative colleagues to reverse their decision and look at other options.

The move will be seen as a blow to the Tory-led council, who’ve faced mounting criticism for wanting to close the course.

Mr Scott said: “It’s clear that the council are having to face up to an extremely difficult set of financial circumstances and that difficult decisions have had to be made, just as they are having to be made in council chambers across all of Scotland.

“In the case of Dalmilling golf course, however, I believe that there is a case for revisiting the decision taken and I am calling on the council to reverse their plan to close the course.

“Quite aside from the number of local people who make use of the course and the contribution it makes to the provision of leisure services to the area, it is not clear to me that its closure would provide a saving to the council, or even if it did, that such a saving would justify the loss of the course.”

We told last week how the council plan to bid for £30m of government funding to build a new school on the golf course.

But golfers have reacted with fury to the plan and insist their course makes money for the council.

Their case is being backed by Mr Scott, who says closure is NOT the only option.

He insisted: “The council have announced their intention to review the future use of the Dalmilling site, and there have been suggestions that possible uses might include the provision of social housing and perhaps a new secondary school for north Ayr.

“These are objectives that I certainly share and I want to work with the council to help achieve them, but I believe that we should be looking at other options.”

However, council leader Hugh Hunter insists they will stick by their original decision.

He said: “I fully understand John Scott’s position – he is elected to represent the people and must do that accordingly.

“If he’s been asked to make this representation to the council on their behalf, then that’s obviously what he will do.

“I have a great deal of respect for John myself and he has a large following in the area.

“However, as a council we are carrying out a review of how to use Dalmilling golf course – and that will continue.”