Come clean with the Gaiety plan

Feb 20 2009

I WOULD like to register my deep despair at the closure of the Gaiety Theatre.

I came from Ayr originally, then lived in Kilwinning for 33 years. I moved back to my family home in Ayr two years ago.

Since moving back to Ayr there has been the threat of closure to pets corner in Belleisle, the closure of the majority of public toilets in Ayr town centre, the public pool in Girvan closing, the roads in Ayr centre and around about Ayr are in need of repair. I unfortunately was unable to attend the recent public meeting about the closure of the Gaiety Theatre but my understanding was that there are people interested in running the Gaiety but South Ayrshire needs to help set up a trust committee, but to date there is no sign of this happening.

I am happy to be back in Ayr again and happy to pay my taxes but as a tax payer I am in despair regarding the poor running of some council departments.

When I lived in Kilwinning there is the Magnum, which has a theatre and still holds events. East Ayrshire also have a theatre which has plays and concerts regularly. So imagine my despair that the only theatre in South Ayrshire has closed its doors while other theatres in Ayrshire can manage to stay open.

The Gaiety is a benefit to residents of South Ayrshire and attracts people from all over Ayrshire and beyond. My concern is that the Gaiety will stay closed and the longer it stays closed it will gradually go to rack and ruin like the Civic Theatre has done.

I challenge South Ayrshire Council to give me and the people of South Ayrshire (tax payers, who pay the wages of the chief executive and councillors of South Ayrshire) an answer to what is going to happen to the Gaiety Theatre and when.

Rosslyn Simpson

By email.