South Ayrshire Council leader Peter Henderson has hit back at claims the local authority is putting their £45m leisure centre project ahead of other crucial services.
The council leader was responding to criticism from South Scotland Conservative MSP, Sharon Dowey, who reckons the local authority has got its priorities wrong.
Ms Dowey pointed to a report showing decreasing satisfaction of South Ayrshire residents with refuse collection and street cleaning over the past 10 years.
The National Benchmarking Overview Report 2020-21 found that in the past decade the percentage of adults satisfied with refuse collection in South Ayrshire decreased by 9.3 per cent.
According to the figures, during the 2017-20 period, the satisfaction rate was 51.1 per cent, the lowest out of all Scottish councils.
Ms Dowey said the decline is down to cuts to local authority budgets by the SNP Government.
She also urged SAC to abandon their leisure centre plan for Ayr and divert funds to ‘crucial services.’
She said: “Budgets of our councils are being slashed by the SNP Government and this becomes evident in their abilities to provide local services for our residents. South Ayrshire continues to be let down and deserves better waste collection and street cleaning.
“The SNP Government needs to address this issue and improve the ability of South Ayrshire Council to deliver services to its residents.
“At a time where South Ayrshire Council is spending money on a new leisure centre — instead of refurbishing our valued Citadel — it should first make sure to deliver crucial services.”
South Ayrshire Conservative Councillor Iain Campbell said: “South Ayrshire Council is spending vast resources on a new leisure facility — instead of improving services across South Ayrshire."
But Councillor Henderson said: “As with all councils we have faced 12 years of UK Austerity budgets and the Scottish Government settlements over this period.
“There is an increase in litter in all areas over the Covid period of the last two years, but during this period absolutely no drop in refuse bin collection or recycling collection have occurred in South Ayrshire.
“I would ask Mrs Dowey if she has examined the effects on all councils in the UK of Austerity cuts.
“Conservative proposals regarding the Citadel Centre pays no attention to facts. The fact that no cognisance regarding making the building Carbon neutral (as will be the case with the new centre) is addressed, the fact that it (The Citadel) would be closed during the work with no alternative provision in Ayr- and the fact that since its opening no public transport serves the Citadel Centre- despite many attempts to engage an operator for many years.”
Mr Henderson also said that the refurbishment of the Citadel ‘would not assist’ in regenerating Ayr Town Centre or ‘increase footfall’ for businesses and ‘attract new venues.’
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “In 2022-23, South Ayrshire Council will receive £247.6 million to fund local services, which equates to an extra £24.8 million or an additional 11.1 per cent compared to 2021-22."
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