Campaign victory for residents in CEVIC fight
The Save the CEVIC Campaign group has won their battle with East Ayrshire Council.
The local authority has made an astonishing U- turn in their plan to turn the building into a nursery.
And the decision, made at a Cabinet meeting last Thursday, has been described by campaigners as “the logical, sensible and right decision.”
The council previously drew up proposals to use the CEVIC in Ballochmyle Street as part of their early years child care expansion plans. A planning application had been lodged. But if the application got the green light, it would have left question marks over the future of the village nursery on Newton Street. The existing CEVIC building was formerly occupied by the Catrine Community Trust and was used for a variety of education and communityrelated purposes.
However, plans were drawn up to transform the CEVIC to cater for 64 children. But if that happened the fear was the old nursery site would be be sold off to developers – and locals would lose a valued community asset.
The council now plans to refurbish the nursery instead.
A spokesperson for the Save the CEVIC campaign group said: “After a united, persistent and concerted protest from September 2020, the Catrine Community Campaign Group are pleased EAC have listened to us and made the logical, sensible and right decision in keeping the ECC where it is and publicly committing to refurbishing it. The Campaign Group persevered by forcing the Council to stop and rethink their unwanted plans.”
A council statement said: “Cabinet agreed proposals to refurbish the Early Childhood Centre at Newton Street in Catrine to ensure it meets the new National Standards for early learning and childcare provision. Cabinet considered a series of measures to assist Catrine Community Trust, the current owners of the CEVIC, who have been experiencing financial difficulties since the building closed in 2018 and agreed to proceed with the acquisition of the CEVIC from the Trust as previously agreed in August 2019.
“Expressions of interest should be submitted by March 31 2021, and any proposals will be considered by Cabinet thereafter.”