MSP welcomes extra spending
Future of popular venue is secure after huge backlash
MSP Jeane Freeman this week welcomed the news that East and South Ayrshire Council are set to receive almost £ 10m extra to spend on services.
South Ayrshire will get a £ 4.9m cash boost and £ 4.8m more for East Ayrshire.
The SNP member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley said the Scottish government’s reforms will see an an increase in both East and South Ayrshire Council’s resource budgets of over two per cent, providing extra funding for schools, roads and housing.
The budget will also see East and South Ayrshire schools benefiting from £ 3.4 and £ 2.4m as part of the Pupil Equity Fund, helping to tackle the attainment gap.
She said the Scottish Budget provides additional spending on our NHS – which will see an extra £ 19.9 million in funding going to NHS Ayrshire & Arran to help protect our health service.
Ms Freeman said the extra funding for both council areas is a great settlement for communities.
“The total resource budget for our council’s services – such as schools, roads and housing – to £ 227m for East and £ 201m for South Ayrshire for the coming year,” she added.
“This progressive budget also provides extra funding for our NHS, education and broadband, and more money for our economy – as well as protecting free university tuition, free personal care for the elderly, free school meals and free prescriptions.” Council axemen have handed a last minute budget reprieve to Prestwick swimming pool.
Councillors confirmed they would not be proceeding with proposals to close the popular base, following a huge public backlash.
More than 9,000 people signed a petition backing the pool’s future in the face of South Ayrshire Council’s potential cuts.
Announcing the decision on Monday, depute council leader, Brian McGinley, said the pool’s immediate future was secure.
He said: “There was a massive response to the proposal regarding Prestwick swimming pool, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to get in touch or come