A Tory leader has vowed to stop the building of a new £40 million leisure centre in its tracks if he takes control of South Ayrshire Council next year.
Plans are underway to pave the way for the new Ayr swimming pool before the next council election in May 2022. The Arran Mall is to be razed to make room for it.
Conservative councillor Martin Dowey said even if the Arran Mall is demolished he will halt all plans and build houses instead.
Ruling SNP and Labour leadership panel councillors want the leisure hub erected to replace the rundown Citadel – and believe it could help bring more people to the High Street.
Ayr West councillor Martin Dowey said: “If the Conservatives get into administration and even if they have knocked down the Arran Mall, we will build council and affordable houses there.
“We would move council staff into Hourstons to get more footfall in the town centre. We would then go ahead with our £9 million plan to refurbish the Citadel.”
He described the proposed leisure centre as a “white elephant.”
Councillor Dowey added: “We want to encourage business in the High Street. We need footfall and cars back in the High Street with free parking for an hour.”
He claimed an Olympic-sized pool had been part of the proposals but that has evaporated.
Now the biggest pool is set to measure 25x17 metres, according to a council report.
That falls short of an Olympic-sized pool – spanning 50 metres in length and 25 metres in width.
Last month, ruling SNP and Labour councillors gave officers the go-ahead to progress the pool development plans at a leadership panel meeting.
Council leader, Councillor Peter Henderson, questioned why the Conservatives did not challenge the leisure centre proposal after the meeting.
The SNP politician said: "Why did Councillor Dowey not call the paper in? The paper was presented to the leadership panel. They had three days to call it in.
"The leisure centre plans are progressing now. We are trying to regenerate the town centre.
"There are ongoing problems at the Citadel. It is an eyesore and is not in the town centre."
He pointed out the bid would preserve the historic Hourstons building.
There are also hopes a new swimming pool would help attract a cinema to the site.
Another report is due to go in front of the panel in March 2022 detailing exact costs before the first brick is laid.
The council has already splashed out £621,500 on Hourstons and set aside £3.7m to buy the Arran Mall – to make room for the leisure hub.
A council report raised challenges with developing the site – including the conservation setting, high water-table, nearby developments and multiple entrance points.
The team have been exploring ways to overcome the issues, according to the report submitted to the leadership panel.
If the huge project goes ahead available swimming lessons could jump by 50 per cent compared to the Citadel.
School children would get 30 per cent more access to the water. The swim team could accept 400 additional members.
