Council splash Covid cash on watersports
South Ayrshire Council opted to spend £1.5m of ‘Covid recovery’funding on proms, watersports and beach volleyball facilities, it can be revealed.
In the last two years, officials at County Buildings have received £15m in pandemic support cash.
During the first year of the pandemic, SAC underspent its Covid-19 recovery funding by £9.5m. It then received a further £5.5m from the Scottish Government in March 2021.
Last summer the administration agreed to use £6.7m to plug the shortfall in council income up to the end of the current financial year.
A further £5.8m was then allocated to activities which were to be“clearly aimed at recovery from the impact of Covid-19”both this year and 2022/23.
The remaining £2.89m was kept as a contingency.
South Ayrshire Council said it had received 70 bids from its various services for projects which would assist the recovery from the pandemic. These would have cost more than £17m to put in place.
Only seven of the 32 projects given the nod by councillors explicitly state the funding is required because of particular impact by the pandemic.
Over the two years, the council committed to spend £750,000 on a‘Promenade and Shorefront Improvement Scheme’ along the coast.
SAC said:“The project aims to improve the built asset along the promenades with reconstruction/ surfacing, cycle paths, benches, lighting, signage and interpretation linked to each town with the promenade.
“This project focuses on residents and visitors alike to improve the appeal of our built assets regarding shorefronts and promenades making South Ayrshire a destination venue for people from across the UK whilst growing the local economy.”
Despite being set for closure, the council also approved £25k to ‘transform the vacant café area in the Citadel into a space that provides opportunities to increase footfall, generate income and provide targeted health and wellbeing activities for our most vulnerable residents.’
A further £120k was allocated to a‘proposal to develop watersport and beach volleyball opportunities to link both sides of River Ayr to Craigie campus development.”
A further £250k was also committed to an‘Active Zone within Craigie Park to provide a 7-a-side MUGA as a safe area for schools, community and local sports clubs to use.”
Covid Recovery Projects 2021-23:
•Discretionary Housing Payments - £150k
•Family Pandemic Payments - £250k
•Digital Inclusion Project - £19.25k
•Supported employment - £180k
•Employer Recruitment Incentive - £300k
•Thriving Communities community teams - £170k
•Girvan Glendoune Community Association partnership to run community unit - £143k
•Financial support to private tenants at risk of homelessness - £60k
•Financial support to social housing tenants at risk of homelessness - £60k
•Community Co-ordinator Wallacetown - £85k
•Duke of Edinburgh Award training to complete expeditions - £35k
•Support for parents of babies to reduce social isolation - £48k
•Summer Care Experience Activity programme - £6k
•Outdoor Learning and Activities - £183k
•North Ayr/River Ayr outdoor sports - watersport and beach volleyball £121.6k
Support for young people with social, emotional and behavioural needs - £65k
•Family First Project - £665k Advocacy for Wallacetown residents - £112k
•Deposit assistance for new tenants in social letting service - £30k
•Multi Function Activity Space in vacant CItadel cafe - £25k
•Trauma Informed Practice Officer - £92k
•Craigie Park Sport For All facility - £250k
•Garden Enhancements Newton Primary - £10k
•Shopfront Scheme - £450k Neighbourhood Place Teams - £750k
•Homelessness Prevention
- £220k
•Transforming council estate - £70k
•Local digital shopping platform - £40k
•Anti-Social Behaviour Service resources - £100k
•Promenade and Shorefront Improvement Scheme £750k
•Grants for mixed tenure improvement works - £250k