Council budget scrutinised

I write with respect to the imminent proposed South Ayrshire Council Budget for 2018/ 19 and an indicator for 2019/ 2020.

The main party of the coalition said it would maintain or reduce the pupil teacher ratio of 13.4. How do you achieve that by closing / merging two schools creating bigger class sizes?

Not my words but the proposals set out by civil servants apparently on which we were asked to consult and comment.

When challenging this issue as I did with a very senior administration councillor, I was told the council are to build a bigger school ( in Prestwick).

Which then begs the question – why haven’t we seen the capital budget of which that school build cost would be a part? When would such a school be built and ready to meet the revenue expenditure reductions?

That then rolls on to the council debt profile – and even allowing for the further belated £ 3.4 million allocated to the council thanks to increased income taxes, much of which will go to increasing council salaries.

So, a revenue budget where hard working senior Civil Servants, led by a dedicated CEO, have been asked to save 10%, that shows no vision or strategy or clarity on capital expenditure and its impact on future revenues.

It’s a budget that does not make clear the impact on South Ayrshire’s Council debt against a background of certain increased interest rates and a tightening of the Scottish Government’s allocation.

But at least we have council officials who did what they were asked to do. Sadly that cannot be applied to an administration that was elected to do what they promised.

Chic Brodie, Ayr Margaret, notKaren

The originator and first President of the French twinning Committee was Margaret Boudet, and not Karen, as stated in your article.

Margaret came from Ayr, and when her adopted town Villeneuve- sur- Lot in southwest France wanted to twin with a British town, she suggested Ayrshire as a place to start looking for a partner. Jenifer MacPherson Willockston Road, Troon Spendingapenny

South Ayrshire council has launched a consultation titled ‘ Balancing the budget 2018 - 2020’ and has laid out proposals to make savings.

I browsed their 2016- 2017 accounts and on page three it states demographic details. A 7% decrease in those aged 15 and below, a decrease of 11% for the working age population and an increase of pensioners by 21%. They state that ‘ more dramatically’ the population older than 75 years will increase 82%.

I read with utter dismay and confusion the following proposal to balance the budget: “Close all public toilets in South Ayrshire”.

Such short sighted actions will have profound effects. It will limit the daily lives of the fastest growing part of our community and restrict their travel arrangements. A friend jokes he plans his trips from bathroom to bathroom.

This increased confinement comes when a ‘ Minister for Loneliness’ has been appointed for the first time and concerns of social isolation abound.

I urge all those that share my concerns to take part in the consultation and, if reason is not adhered to, to remember this when it comes to next cast your vote.

Tom Walker, Barr A lessoninparking

I wonder where the 350 council employees will park their cars at the new proposed facility?

Perhaps South Ayrshire Council could commandeer the existing T- Max car park for the exclusive use of South Ayrshire Council employees cars .

This would deprive the general public of many car parking places and how would this help the Renaissance of Ayr town centre ?

John Higgins, Windward Park, Alloway Scandalofnewbuilding

It’s a scandal that the council are even allowed to think about putting any type of offices or similar buildings on this site.

I thought the idea of clearing this area was to create a place for leisure purposes and attractions.

There must be plenty of places around Ayr that would be more suitable and more accessible to the public and council staff. We don’t need another eyesore like the council building next to the Odeon cinema. Enough said.

Andrew McGhee by email, Don’tblamethepress

If I were a public servant and the local press brought to light a report concerning a particular brand of criminality in the local area, I would naturally be concerned.

If I had little information of the nature of the said criminality I would consult with the press, the police and other relevant agencies to establish what was happening with an overall view of combating this, particularly since a gross exploitation was involved.

I would not, in the first instance, simply blame the local press for bring the matter to the attention of the public. However, unlike the leader of South Ayrshire Council, I am not a public servant.

B Wilson Alexander Peden was born in 1629 in Sorn. A bright boy, he went on to study at Glasgow University when very few did that. Peden became a minister at a time in Scotland’s history when preaching the Bible was a very dangerous thing to do. He had to leave his church in New Luce and preached the Bible in the countryside. People came from far and near to hear him. Outlawed for his preaching, Peden spent years between Ayrshire and Ireland proclaiming the good news that Jesus saves and avoiding the king’s troops. Today there are people just like Alexander Peden who are outlawed for their faith in Jesus.

They, like him, rely on the presence and help of Jesus to get them through their days. Jesus said, ‘ Go and make disciples … and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

( Matthew 28: 20)