Freedom of Information

About South Ayrshire

South Ayrshire is situated on Scotland's south-west coast.. With its stunning coastline and breathtaking views of the islands of Arran and Ailsa Craig, South Ayrshire is renowned for the richness of its countryside and the unspoilt nature of its towns and villages.

South Ayrshire has a population of 111,690, 90 per cent of whom live in thirteen main settlements including Ayr, Prestwick, Troon, Maybole and Girvan. The remaining 10 per cent of the population live within the extensive rural area containing many small, often remote villages.

The area is generally well served by road and rail connections, and the upgrade of the A77 reduced travel times to Glasgow and central Scotland. The popularity of budget airlines and the demand for package holidays has contributed to the development of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. This has been complemented by the introduction of direct high-speed ferry links between Troon and Belfast.

Economically, although rural in character, the area is fairly typical of Scotland as a whole, but with a higher than average employment in the retail and hospitality sector. This latter fact indicates the importance of tourism to the local economy; an importance built on the natural beauty of the area and a rich historical and cultural heritage. This is typified by such internationally renowned attractions as Culzean Castle and Country Park and the Burns National Heritage Park along with Championship golf courses at Turnberry and Royal Troon.

The Council

South Ayrshire Council comprises eight Wards each served by three or four Elected Members. Politically the Council has twelve Conservative, eight Scottish Nationalist, seven Labour and three Independent Elected Members, with the Conservatives forming the current Administration. The Council operates a committee system of political management. The principal committees include:

• Leadership Panel
• Scrutiny/Governance Management Panel
• Development and the Environment Standing Scrutiny Panel
• Corporate and Community Planning Standing Scrutiny Panel
• Community Services Standing Scrutiny Panel
• Appeals Panel (Various)
• Regulatory Panel
• Chief Officers’ Appointments/Appraisal Panel
• Rural Panel
• General Purposes Panel
• Licensing Board

Full details of these and other committees together with information on their operation and administration can be found in our Council Services section.

Functions

The corporate management of the Council is provided by three Executive Directors led by the Chief Executive, who is also Head of the Council’s Paid Service. The functions of the Chief Executive’s Department include Corporate Strategy and Policy, Best Value and Community Planning, Corporate Performance Development and Reporting, Corporate communications and public relations, design advertising and printing. The Council's structure is illustrated in Appendix 2. The Council’s services are delivered through three service departments and the Chief Executive’s Department. The main service responsibilities are:

• Corporate Services - Responsible for Human Resources, Organisation Change and Development, Health and Safety, Occupational Health; Strategic management of Council’s resources, ICT Strategy and Delivery, Risk Management and Business Continuity, Corporate and Service Finance including Payroll, Revenues and Benefits, Strategic Procurement; Legal Services, Administration Services (including FOI), Committee and Democratic Services.
• Children and Community - Responsible for Management of Schools, Schools - Transports and Estates Liaison, Grants/Bursaries, Inclusion, Management of DMR; Adult and Community Care, Housing, Operations and Management; Early Years and Childcare, Additional Support Needs, Children and Families Social Work, Criminal Justice, Youth Strategy and Community Education; Curriculum Development, Quality Development; Performance, Policy and Strategy; Community Planning and engagement, Community Councils, Community regeneration, Libraries, Arts, Culture and Theatres, Leisure, Grants* subject to review.
• Development and Environment - Responsible for Planning, Enterprise and Tourism, Roads and Transport, Event Management, Fleet Management* subject to review; Waste Management, Green Space, Assets and Estates, Facilities Management, Property Maintenance; Buildings Standards, Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Community Safety, Customer Contact/Customer Interface, Sustainable Development, Archives, Registration, Energy efficiency and awareness.