Row over the council pigeon lof ts and farms
Cheese factory also among assets
IT could be a list from a history book chronicling the way of life in a bygone age.
But pigeon lofts, a cheese factory, an iron works and an aviary are among the assets held by and raising funds for Scotland’s councils.
A new report has revealed the wide array of assets held by local authorities.
According to the TaxPayers’ Alliance survey, councils own 137 farms, 80 golf courses, 32 theatres, 11 pubs and ten hotels.
Dumfries and Galloway owns part of a cheese factory; while Falkirk has an interest in the famous Carron Iron Works.
Aberdeen owns 25 farms and several pigeon lofts, while South Ayrshire is the only council in the country with a shooting range and an aviary.
But the TaxPayers’ Alliance questioned if such assets provided value for money – when Scotland’s local authorities owe almost £15billion after the council tax freeze saw budgets slashed.
Scottish Government funding for local authorities has decreased by 8.5 per cent in the past four years and many councils are now reporting gaps between income and the cost of services.
TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive Jonathan Isaby said: ‘It looks deeply hypocritical for councils to plead poverty when they’ve got such a huge asset portfolio. Local authorities should be focused on essential services. The time has come for a serious discussion on what councils should, and should not, be doing.’
But a Falkirk Council spokesman said: ‘We own a wide variety of properties that are let out as commercial concerns and we receive income in the form of rent. This rent allows us to reinvest in other services.
‘We constantly review the assets in our property portfolio. It would clearly be counter-productive to get rid of an asset that can help a council to balance its budgets during difficult times simply for a one-off payment.’
A spokesman for local authority umbrella body COSLA said: ‘All council assets are subject to rigorous best-value assessments.
‘The bottom line is this is not a real or meaningful or, indeed, evidenced contribution from the TaxPayers’ Alliance.
‘Is it saying councils should sell off golf courses and anybody who cannot afford to pay fees for a private course has to give up the sport? Is it saying the land from public courses in Scotland should be sold to property developers?
‘How does that help towards wider outcomes like improving health and tackling obesity?’
‘It looks deeply hypocritical’