The Leader of South Ayrshire Council, Councillor Andy Hill has taken steps to clarify the Council’s position in relation to two separate matters which he believes members of the public are being “misled” into believing are combined.

The Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee has recently declared an area of land near the Dalmilling Primary School, and facing Westwood Avenue, Ayr, as being “surplus to requirements” of Education, Culture and Lifelong Learning.

Separately, moves are under way to develop a community garden at Voluntary Park in Ayr by the North Ayr Community Garden Initiative group.

Said Councillor Hill: “There appears to be some mischief making going on surrounding the future of land at Dalmilling Primary School in Ayr.

“It should be emphasised that no decision has yet been taken as to what will happen to the land, it has merely been declared surplus to requirements by the Council’s Education, Culture and Lifelong Learning section.

“A decision was taken at a meeting of the Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee to declare an area of land at Dalmilling Primary School, surplus to requirements.

“The piece of land in question is not utilised by the school, and it was felt that it could be put to better use, such as to address the need for socially affordable housing in the area.

“The matter has been referred to the Council’s Commercial and Business Services Committee for their consideration as the Council’s property committee. Although it had been on the agenda for consideration this week, further background information was required to enable the committee to be fully informed before taking any decision on any move to dispose of the land, and so the item was withdrawn and will be submitted to a future meeting of the committee for its consideration. It is not unusual for an item on an agenda to be withdrawn to enable further information to be obtained, and it is mischievous for anyone to suggest this was anything but a proper action to take.

“In due course the matter will be scheduled for a future meeting of the committee, and members of the committee will be able to discuss and decide on any action to be taken.”

Councillor Hill continued: “A completely separate project, which is nothing to do with the land around Dalmilling Primary School is currently being considered, and this is where some confusion may have arisen.”

He explained: “South Ayrshire Waste and Environment Trust (SAWET), which is not a Council owned organisation, has received an application to develop a community garden at Voluntary Park in Ayr by the North Ayr Community Garden Initiative group. SAWET is an independent distributive environmental body for Landfill Tax Credits, which supports environmental projects brought forward by Community organisations.

“The Trust asked the North Ayr Community Garden Initiative group to give a formal presentation on their plans at the next meeting of SAWET, and agreed to fund, to a limit of £5,000, the consultation process required to facilitate the design and accurate costing of the proposed community garden.”

Concluded Councillor Hill: “I hope that by clarifying the position, I can assured members of the public that procedures are being properly adhered to, contrary to some misleading information that has been circulated.”

July 2005