War of words erupts over South Ayrshire Council's plan to build 'white elephant' leisure centre

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A £45 million leisure centre planned for Ayr town centre has been branded a "white elephant" that will short change the public.Tory MSP Sharon Dowey says the council plan will "not deliver value for money" if it replaces the existing Citadel complex.Plans for the new centre have sparked controversy with costs soaring and South Ayrshire Council insisting it is unable to provide replacements for many of the facilities set to be lost from the Citadel.The sports hall and diving board are among the popular attractions which will find no place within the new-look centre, should it get the green light.More than 3,000 people signed a petition against the centre which was later rejected by the council due to a "breach" of their protocols.And Mrs Dowey says the mood is clear that residents want to see the millions plunged into more pressing issues around town.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.The South Scotland representative said: “It is frustrating to see South Ayrshire Council borrowing money to fund a new leisure centre instead of investing in the refurbishment of the Citadel."If the council is so keen on borrowing money, it could at least spread that investment around Ayrshire communities rather than just focusing it on a single white elephant project.“The SNP council has shown its usual disregard for public finances by spending more money than they have on a