Happy to have my bet up in flames
I predict hee-haw on Belleisle by‘26
In 1926, Ayr’s local authority of the day – Ayr Burgh Council – purchased the entire Belleisle Estate for the princely sum of £25,000.
It must have been large ones all round in the Provost’s office after that deal was signed!
For their twenty five large, the council got their hands on the magnificent baronial Belleisle House mansion, the North Lodge building, the South Lodge Building, the Belleisle Lodge building (on Greenfield Avenue), stables, a walled garden and enough land to build TWO golf courses.
A year later, Belleisle Park was opened and became the jewel in the crown of Ayr’s recreational estate – a true country park to be enjoyed by generations to follow.
Fast forward some ninety four years to last week when our local authority of the day – South Ayrshire Council – had the chequebook out again.
This time, they spent £154,000 . . . and in return got the charred and delapidated ruins of what used to be the splendid Belleisle House Hotel!
So how do our elected members feel about shelling out SIX times more cash . .. for a fraction of the property . . . for the second time around?
Well, It looks like large ones all round – again.
To quote depute leader Brian McGinley, “I am delighted that Belleisle House is back in Council hands”.
Well, I’m sort of delighted too. Belleisle House is back where it always should have been.
But it doesn’t match my anger that those responsible for the shambolic financial and material ruin of Belleisle House will never be publicly accountable.
Anyway – there’s an old saying about locking the stable door after the stable was accidentally burned to the ground by a roofer’s blowtorch.
The people who massacred Belleisle are mostly pushing up daisies or picking up their pensions. But . . . they know who they are.
It’s time to move on - and think about the Belleisle building’s future.
And already, there are three words that are filling me with dread – “full structural survey”!
For those of you not blessed with a degree in architecture or construction – a “full structural survey” is – according to SAC anyway
A WEEKLY DOSE OF WIT AND WITHERING COMMENT ON ISSUES AND FACES HITTING THE NEWS ...
- a fairly straightforward four point action plan:1) Do nothing for a few years 2) Wrap the building in a white plastic shroud
3) Send in the surveyors
4) Do nothing for a few years
All of the above is why I’m confidently predicting that by 2026 – the centenary of Belleisle’s purchase by the town – absolutely hee-haw will have been done to the former site.
I’m almost tempted to lump it on with the Station Hotel, the riverside project and the Alloway Street leisure complex - and ask Ladbrokes if they’ll take it as an urban planning Yankee!
The only people who can ruin my bet is South Ayrshire Council itself . . .and I dearly wish they would.
A few years ago, I would have commended them to the Spanish ‘Parador’ system – where threatened historic buildings are turned into luxury hotels through Government funding.
Finished to the highest standard and with an attractive leasing price – the big hotel chains fall over themselves to get one.
A prime condition of the lease is that the buildings are maintained to the same high standard.
After fifteen years – the Government has its money back and moves into profit, the hotel chain is making money too . . . and a valuable, historic building is saved and maintained.
Sadly, there’s not much left of Belleisle House to salvage – but the ‘Parador’ model could be adapted.
There’s room in Ayr for a quality, bespoke hotel. In terms of fine dining, we sadly still live in a town where people confuse Michelin star with Ringo’s first wife!
It could be a golfer’s paradise . . . and a bridal couple’s dream . . . and both on the same day.
With a little imagination and – admittedly - an awful lot of money, it might just happen.
What must not happen is that this precious divot of Belleisle is left untouched and allowed to blight the parkland for years to come.
Secondly, it should never fall into private “ownership” ever again.
Belleisle has had a great past and could have an even greater future.
But that’s down to the people in charge at present.
If new council leader Peter Henderson wants to adopt a pet project to leave as his legacy – it’s sitting waiting for him.
There are already three words that are filling me with dread . . . full, structural survey