Talk of the town from our social media

News that Maybole’s golf course and swimming pool could close sparked debate among our readers.

Brian O’Neil said: “Wow. Cost the tax payer £ 24 to supplement every round of golf and £ 5 every time someone used the pool. Didn’t think it was this bad.”

Steven Mackie added: “That’s a shame. However if more people used them then this wouldn’t be happening.

“So much could be done to save them both if everyone put in the effort.”

And Nick Larkin said: “All the component parts of a Community Sports Trust right beside each other? I understand the anger but please think long term and this may just be best thing ever for sport in Maybole.” Parking problems close to Ayr’s university campus proved to be a hot topic.

Karen McCall said: “Neither the university nor the academy should have been built there in the first place, they should both have been built in more suitable areas, destroying our green belts.”

Annmarie Kelly commented: “This was inevitable with the college, school and university.”

But Susan Newman added: “Could encourage the staff to cycle and give more car parking space to students?” Our readers were big fans of plans to have schoolchildren switch on the Christmas lights instead of celebrities.

Sara Walker said: “That’s much better than getting some silly ‘ celebrity’ to do it!”

Craig Murray posted: “It’s far better than getting someone who was kicked out of the second round of the X Factor to do it.”

And Jimmy Millar added: “About time!” And plans to create Scotland’s first drug rehab village at the Auchincruive estate drew a number of comments.

Catriona Hawthorn said: “Fabulous initiative. Giving recovering addicts training and a job, and contact with the beauty and healing properties of nature, will help so many of them to find some meaning and direction in their chaotic lives.”

But Julie Crawford commented: “The money the charity has spent on the land could have been better spent supporting more people in different ways!”

Emma Wilcox said: “An old people’s home or a supported living for war veterans would have been better.”

And June Neilson added: “What an inspiring initiative.”