A new pared-down Ayr leisure centre proposal was dismissed as ‘a big puddle in a car park with a roof over it’ by South Ayrshire Council Leader Martin Dowey on Thursday.
The council was split on whether to accept the revised proposal which would cut the size of the centre by 20 per cent and reduce the pool, scrap the flumes and remove a play zone amongst others.
The decision on the matter came down to the casting vote of Provost Iain Campbell after the vote ended in a tie.
It was also revealed that the debate over whether the scrapped Ayr Leisure Centre would be too expensive had never taken into account the possibility of £20m in levelling up funds.
But councillors fighting the decision found out that their arguments on that aspect were too late.
The council met on Thursday, tasked with deciding whether a revised plan for a leisure centre that would meet the agreed £45m budget was suitable.
The council had previously agreed to scrap the agreed centre proposals on the basis that it was unaffordable at £51m and rising.
However, no formal moves were made to determine whether the potential levelling up windfall was being taken into account.
Had it been, the argument was there to be made that the £20m levelling up grant would reduce the burden on the council’s coffers from £51m to £31m and would remain within the original budget.
Instead, the point was only raised on Thursday, where it was dismissed as a moot point given the affordability was no longer the question.
Labour Councillor Philip Saxton argued that there should be a delay until the outcome of the levelling up bid was known as it would reduce the costs.
However, the administration countered this line by insisting that the matter no longer related to the affordability, which had dealt with the scrapping of the original plan, and was now down to whether the revised centre would meet the specifications agreed by the previous administration in 2021.
Legal officer Catriona Caves said the council was duty bound to respond to the revised proposal within 60 working days.
SNP group leader Peter Henderson said: “My big fear is that five years ago the council had a hole in bottom of High Street an I don’t want to start again with a hole at top of the high street.
“I don’t see anything coming forward on how going to regenerate the town centre.”
Council Leader Dowey explained that he had met with UK ministers about the levelling up fund and expected to find out whether the bid was successful in January.
He also laid out the differences between the revised plan and the original.
He said: “With regard to the proposal Hub have brought back. They are reducing size of the main pool, reducing the offer in fun water zone, no flumes, removing play zone, the size of wet changing rooms, reducing spectator seating capacity.
"The Leisure centre will be 20 percent less space and we still have Hourstons to sort.
“We have effectively got a puddle in the back of the car park with a roof on it.”
Labour group Leader Brian McGinley sought more clarification on the affordability issue of previous proposal.
Ms Caves confirmed that the affordability was based on the money that the council had, without considering the £20m bid.
Councillor McGinley suggested that the council delay the decision until the outcome of the levelling up bid was known and also sought information on the costs of refurbishing the Citadel – which is where the administration plan to spend any levelling up money.
The motion to reject the revised plan and the amendment were tied at 14 votes apiece, with Provost Campbell’s casting vote in favour of the motion.
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