Crash and burn
Clashes as Airshow is culled
Angry Scottish Airshow bosses have gone to war with South Ayrshire Council after their aero spectacular was grounded.
The event, scrapped this week after a funding fall- out, has led to a brutal public blame game.
Councillors unanimously agreed to hammer the financial nail in the show’s coffin – by pulling £ 250,000 of vital funding.
Officials at County Buildings have accused organisers of repeated “breaches” of contract – accusations they furiously deny.
We exclusively told last month ( below right) how the bitter split was putting the very future of the three day event at risk. Now the rift has proven too big to heal. But show bosses have fired a furious rebuttal at claims they were playing fast and loose with public cash.
And we can reveal the event’s co- directors, Danny Anderson and Doug Maclean, made THREE separate requests to meet with South Ayrshire chief executive, Eileen Howat, as the row reached crisis point.
But they were denied the meeting on the grounds it would be “inappropriate” for the council’s top official to discuss the matter.
Mr Maclean told the Post: “We found this ridiculous. All of this is totally needless and is an exercise in self- harm for South Ayrshire.
“There were never any breaches of contract from our end – we completely dispute that.
“We asked for a variance to the contract, which was done so totally in the knowledge of senior council officers and agreed by them at the time.”
An advance funding payment of £ 80,000 made by the council before Christmas – which they branded an “error” – became the focal point of a fatal breakdown in the relationship.
Mr Maclean added: “It was no error. The payment was requested, discussed at senior level within the council and approved. Yes it was an alteration to the contract but both parties knew that at the time.”
Council chiefs, who had not expected to stump up advance grants this year as per a new agreement, have since called into question the airshow’s accounts.
And they expressed “disappointment” that organisers had not answered key money questions.
An outstanding sum of £ 15,000 owed to Police Scotland from the 2018 event
– which airshow bosses insist was being paid back – then became a flashpoint between both sides.
In a statement, the council added: “We are shocked that they still have outstanding payments due to creditors for the 2018 event.
“We have a duty to make sure that public money is used only for agreed purposes, and in line with the correct processes.
“With the combination of the organisers failing to respond to our requests for information, and their breaches of the agreement, we were left with no choice but to terminate the contract, and withdraw public funding from the event.”
A spokesman added: “The organisers did request a meeting with the Chief Executive.
“However, this request came after councillors met at a full council meeting on December 18. At that meeting, councillors decided to ask The Scottish International Airshow organisers to confirm that they could host the 2020 event as per the terms of the financial agreement.
“It was made clear to the organisers that if they could not confirm this, the contract would be terminated.
It was therefore inappropriate for the Chief Executive to meet with organisers as she cannot vary a decision taken by council.
“Ultimately, the breach es to the agreement left the council with no choice but to withdraw its funding from the event. “It is not a decision which has been taken lightly.”