We’ll be watching you, say Girvan pool group

Feb 12 2010 by Edwin Lawrence, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

EVERY step you take...every move you make...we’ll be watching you.

That’s the message to South Ayrshire Council from Girvan people who tried to rescue the town’s swimming pool.

Girvan certainly hopes it won’t be a case of ‘every bond you break’ and ‘every smile you fake’ by the council.

But can the council deliver the ’better outcome’ they promised to the town?

“We intend to monitor every action of the council,” said Stewart Sheddon of Girvan Community Swimming Pool Ltd (GCSP).

The GCSP board met in the aftermath of the council’s decision to demolish the pool.

And they still believe the council is wasting resources by spending £270,000 on demolition, and a further £250,000 on yet another consultancy report on Girvan.

“It’s our fear that the process will end with the council applauding a vision,” said Mr Sheddon.

“But they will still have no funding to carry it out – and Girvan will still have no pool.”

He pointed out: “After all, the flawed bid to the Scottish Government was based on the council investing £3 million.

“And it has now acknowledged that this money did not exist, and was not within any council budget.”

GCSP now look unlikely to get into a legal battle with South Ayrshire Council, as costs would be prohibitive.

But they hope an Ombudsman’s report, due out soon, will show the council acted high-handedly when they closed the pool, and stripped out equipment.

GCSP also aim to work closely with other concerned groups in the town, and will become involved in the council’s Girvan Focus Group.

Mr Sheddon said: “The council asked this group to pass a motion of no confidence in our GCSP proposal for the pool.

“But the people in attendance gave the council representatives short shrift, and no such motion was voted upon.”

Mr Sheddon is calling in all interested people to attend the next focus group, in the Carrick Buildings, Henrietta Street, Girvan, on March 3 at 7pm.