Fightingformyarea

I would like to offer the following response to some of the points raised by Mr Shields in his Ayrshire Post Column of May 26 (No people victory in 3G pitch battle) .

It seems fairly certain to me that on reading his column that it is based on a one-sided version of a copy and paste letter without much if any knowledge of the real local viewpoint or indeed much about the intense, clear and vigorous process that had to followed to allow the council to proceed with the proposed addition of a community facility which will enhance and not detract from the (unusable flooded at many times of the year) western part of common ground at Victory Park Girvan. This will serve a potential pupil roll of approximately 1000 children from Girvan Academy, Girvan Primary, Sacred Heart and Invergarven Schools with Community use at all other times including Girvan Youth Football Club who have approximately 100 youngsters who cannot train during the winter months and have to travel to Maybole or Ayr to access an “All Weather Pitch”. Then we have the added responsibility of provision to an area of “Multiple Depravation” which includes may parts of nearby Glendoune and other parts of the town. Do they not deserve an all-weather facility that is available in every other South Ayrshire town except Girvan and is beyond their reach due to travel without in many cases, car ownership?

Mr Shields tries to insinuate that myself and my Independent colleague Brian Connolly help to keep the SNP in power. Fact is as it says on the tin we are “Independent” and make decisions as part of an informal grouping of SNP, Labour and Independent councillors where debate and difference are welcomed.

Mr Shields claims that Girvan and District Community Council were denied a second vote against the proposed location. The following is taken from the minutes of the Girvan CC meeting which is a public document; “Letter concerning the representation over the 4G pitch to the Sheriff. The community council discussed the letter and it was unanimously decided that a vote had already been taken in favour of the pitch and the issue had been dealt with.”

Mr Shields goes on to question the integrity of the SAC Legal Team, The sheriff, and of course the administration in general with claims such as the objectors would be sued for full legal costs if they proceeded which is not the case as this would be a decision for the sheriff and would amount to dictatorship and not democracy if any residential group disagreed with the council as is their prerogative.

Finally, I am very honoured and it is indeed a privilege to represent my ward as a South Ayrshire Councillor. If I can make the case to lever much needed investment in to the town and villages within my ward it would be no more that my constituents would expect and I would certainly make no apology for doing so when the vast majority of residents will benefit. It would seem that no matter what the makeup of the administration is, it can only be viewed as negative and open to attack by Mr Shields.

Sleepy Old Girvan, as he calls it, is more optimistic and forward thinking than the “Twa Dugs” will ever be. Councillor Alec Clark, South Ayrshire Council, Ward 8 Girvan and South Carrick.

Providing Girvan Academy with a sports pitch would give school children a facility that improves the quality of their physical education.

But with the proposed location of the pitch being a significant distance away from the school, Girvan Academy Pupil Council stated in their response to the Common Good consultation that this would lead to timetabling constraints consequently preventing its use for single lessons of PE.

So by replacing the school’s tennis court with a 7-a-side pitch, not only would it be accessible to school pupils for singles lessons of PE, it would in turn prevent the loss of green open space from the Common Good land of Victory Park.

When Girvan Community Council was preparing for the vote on the proposed 3G pitch, community councillors requested to have the Common Good aspect of Victory Park incorporated into the question being voted on.

But its inclusion was denied, and community councillors were only able to vote on whether to support having a 3G pitch in Girvan or not.

This led to the majority of Community Councillors either abstaining on the vote or walking out of the meeting.

The Community Empowerment Act gave the community a platform to provide input on the proposal. Seeing that the majority of people responding to the Common Good consultation were opposed to the loss of Common Good land, should have prompted SAC to engage with the community and offer a compromise to implement a more suitable solution. But unfortunately, they did not do so.

SAC refused to remove the threat of forcing objectors to pay many thousands of pounds for SAC’s expenses, and the sheriff at the initial court hearing also refused to remove this threat.

With this threat hanging over like the Sword of Damocles, formally opposing the petition was too dangerous a risk to take. This made it abundantly clear that SAC is willing to go to the despicable low of using the threat of devastating financial loss as a weapon to silence those who disagree with them.

It is important to remember that there will always be a need to maintain and enhance our green, natural environment, as we all need a habitable ecosystem to live in. This fact was respected by the Charette Report for Girvan, which recognised Victory Park as an amenity.

But was disregarded by SAC, in their relentless pursuit to remove carbonabsorbing grass and put artificial turf in its place.

Had SAC taken the opportunity with their Green Recovery to be a council that only constructed natural green sports pitches, that could be freely accessed and used without financial prejudice, they would have a policy that we and future generations could be proud of.

Todor Joseph Radic, Girvan