South Ayrshire Council News

John Swinney, MSP, (left) and Councillor Hugh Hunter (right) signed South Ayrshire Council's Single Outcome Agreement

Councillor Hugh Hunter, the Leader of South Ayrshire Council, welcomed John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, to Ayr when he came to sign South Ayrshire Council's Single Outcome Agreement.

Following the Concordat that was agreed with COSLA in November 2007 each of the 32 local authorities across Scotland has created a Single Outcome Agreement. Every Agreement is tailored to meet the needs of each Council, it details the way in which it plans to deliver services, in the most effective way, to meet local needs and national priorities.

John Swinney and Councillor Hunter both signed South Ayrshire Council's Single Outcome Agreement at Ayr Town Hall. Councillor Hunter said: "South Ayrshire Council is committed to improving services and the quality of life for the residents of South Ayrshire. We will achieve this by working closely with our Community Planning Partners and focusing on what our residents want and need. The Council has come a long way in the past year but we know that more improvement is needed. The Single Outcome Agreement is the beginning of a very exciting journey that commits to paper our determination to improve and enhance specific services, ultimately improving the quality of life for people in South Ayrshire. Close
co-operation with the Scottish Government as equal partners will ensure that the citizens of South Ayrshire get the best possible opportunities at both local and national levels."

After signing the Single Outcome Agreement Councillor Hunter took the opportunity to walk around Ayr town centre with John Swinney and explain to him the Ayr Town Centre Renaissance plans. This is a long term project that will see huge investment in the town centre and changes that will bring long term benefits for residents. It will encourage more visitors to Ayr and South Ayrshire and this will bring huge economic benefits.

Speaking about signing the document and his visit to Ayr Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth John Swinney said: "The Single Outcome Agreement we are signing today puts local authorities at the heart of local democracy, reducing unnecessary reporting and monitoring, and allows council and their community planning partners to deliver the services people want and need."

"The Concordat we signed with COSLA last year sets out a new relationship with local government, one that recognises the role of councils and councillors as leaders of their local communities, and I'm delighted to be in South Ayrshire today to sign this agreement in person."

Outcome Agreements that have been agreed with all 32 councils and will be formally signed by members of the Cabinet and each Council Leader over the next few weeks.

View South Ayrshire Council's Single Outcome Agreement

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