£ 2mVAT cash will do nicely
£ 10k netted for beach volleyball at Ayr seafront
Residents should have been given a say on a £ 2m ‘ VAT’ bonanza on leisure facilities in South Ayrshire, a councillor insisted.
Beach volleyball at Ayr seafront and a £ 100,000 adventure playground for Annbank are part of the cash windfall.
The recovered VAT money paid by leisure customers will be spent on more than 30 projects in towns and villages.
But Tory leader, Councillor Martin Dowey, said there should have been more consultation about where the money is going.
Beach volleyball at Ayr seafront, a £ 100,000 adventure playground for Annbank village and outdoor gyms are part of a £ 2 million boost for South Ayrshire.
The recovered VAT money paid by leisure customers will be spent on more than 30 projects in towns and villages.
Areas getting investment include Prestwick, Troon, different wards in Ayr, Girvan, Tarbolton, Maybole, Colmonell, Ballantrae and Annbank.
Maybole will get £ 170,000 playground improvements. A skate and play park at Kincaidston in Ayr will receive a £ 100,000 makeover. And Girvan’s shorefront play area will be improved to the tune of £ 65,000. The council plans to splash out £ 10,000 on beach volleyball at Ayr.
And a heavily opposed Golf Academy plan for Ayr’s Old Racecourse has bagged £ 200,000 from the pot.
Council leader Peter Henderson, SNP, said: “I’m delighted that this investment of just under £ 2 million will significantly improve playparks and outdoor fitness and leisure facilities in every ward in South Ayrshire.
“These facilities will help make South Ayrshire a better place to live, providing access to healthy activities which will help people across all our communities to grow well, live well and age well.”
Conservative Group leader Martin Dowey said there should have been more consultation about where the money is going.
He said: “My concern is they have not spoken to community councils. This is VAT money, which came from residents. They should have been consulted.”
Councillor Dowey mentioned how Coylton had missed out. The money for all the projects came from South Ayrshire residents who paid out more than £ 2 million in unnecessary VAT for council leisure services. The council managed to recover the cash but said it was unable to return the money to the public.
Instead, ruling councillors voted to invest it into new leisure projects.