East Ayrshire Leisure consultation

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Proposal for the closure of leisure facilities in the Auchinleck area

Background

In 2015 the future of leisure facilities in Auchinleck was raised as part of a consultation into the Council’s proposals to merge the existing secondary schools in Cumnock and Auchinleck into a single new-build state of the art learning campus. At that time, the Council committed to carry out a full review of leisure provision in the area before taking any final decision on the facilities operated at the former Auchinleck Academy.

In March 2021 the opening of the Barony Campus took sports provision for Auchinleck and Cumnock two a new level. The new facilities include two full sized, flood-lit synthetic pitches of world class rugby standard, a 400m four lane running track with six lane sprint, two full sized grass pitches, a seven aside floodlit synthetic pitch and an outdoor basketball court, together with 13 indoor courts in various configurations. All within walking distance of the swimming facilities at Visions Leisure Centre.

When we borrowed the £68m needed to build the Barony Campus, part of the justification for such an investment was the replacement of two old school buildings with one modern facility. We calculated how much the Council would save over the life of the new building by no longer operating the two older sites. It was always our intention to demolish these sites. In fact, this assumption is built into how our services are funded and, as a result, we do not have budgets in place to continue operating the old facilities.

Why are we proposing to close these facilities?

Auchinleck Leisure Centre was designed to run as part of the wider Auchinleck Academy estate. These facilities were not designed to operate as a standalone facility. The heating system for the leisure facilities is interlinked with the whole establishment. This means it is not feasible to operate one without the other. We estimate that it would cost around £6.5million to demolish the original school buildings and upgrade the leisure facilities to meet modern standards in terms of energy efficiency and health and safety - given its age and current condition.

The annual running cost for the facility is approximately £437k and since 2021 there has been no budget for this, since the longer term intention always was to demolish the entire site, following the transfer to the Barony Campus.

It is for these reasons that the preferred option is to close the centre, with the possible exception of retaining the football pitches as set out below, while focusing on making sure that leisure facilities throughout the area are accessible and welcoming to all.

In closing the centre our priority is to make sure that all our residents have equal opportunities to access quality leisure facilities. We recognise that our previous consultations may have overlooked some of these aspects, and we are looking for your feedback to make sure that we have considered and catered for the needs of all users.

To support this we're undertaking an Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) which we encourage you to read as part of this consultation.

The available options

Following consultations, expert reviews and the results of our Cabinet discussions and decisions, and recognising that the Council does not have the resources to maintain these facilities, we propose to close both the Leisure Centre and the pitches at the end of March 2024, with existing users transferring to alternative leisure facilities in the area.

We believe that these facilities can provide an equivalent or even enhanced offer.

In November 2023 following engagement with user groups, we agreed that the synthetic grass pitch would remain open until spring 2024 to allow further consultation to take place.

With that in mind, we are consulting on two options:

Option 1

  • Auchinleck Leisure Centre closes at end of March 2024 with existing users signposted to alternative sites.
  • Auchinleck Academy pitches remain open, with temporary changing facilities in place until a transfer to Merlin Park is finalised.

Option 2

  • Auchinleck Leisure Centre closes at the end of March 2024 with existing users signposted to alternative sites.
  • East Ayrshire Council retains the Auchinleck Academy pitches, with modular changing facilities in place.

These options would not negate the right for any community body in requesting an Asset Transfer under Section 5 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

How to get involved

This survey has now closed.

Keep updated

To receive email updates about this consultation, please visit StayConnected and subscribe to Auchinleck Consultation

Proposal for the closure of leisure facilities in the Auchinleck area

Background

In 2015 the future of leisure facilities in Auchinleck was raised as part of a consultation into the Council’s proposals to merge the existing secondary schools in Cumnock and Auchinleck into a single new-build state of the art learning campus. At that time, the Council committed to carry out a full review of leisure provision in the area before taking any final decision on the facilities operated at the former Auchinleck Academy.

In March 2021 the opening of the Barony Campus took sports provision for Auchinleck and Cumnock two a new level. The new facilities include two full sized, flood-lit synthetic pitches of world class rugby standard, a 400m four lane running track with six lane sprint, two full sized grass pitches, a seven aside floodlit synthetic pitch and an outdoor basketball court, together with 13 indoor courts in various configurations. All within walking distance of the swimming facilities at Visions Leisure Centre.

When we borrowed the £68m needed to build the Barony Campus, part of the justification for such an investment was the replacement of two old school buildings with one modern facility. We calculated how much the Council would save over the life of the new building by no longer operating the two older sites. It was always our intention to demolish these sites. In fact, this assumption is built into how our services are funded and, as a result, we do not have budgets in place to continue operating the old facilities.

Why are we proposing to close these facilities?

Auchinleck Leisure Centre was designed to run as part of the wider Auchinleck Academy estate. These facilities were not designed to operate as a standalone facility. The heating system for the leisure facilities is interlinked with the whole establishment. This means it is not feasible to operate one without the other. We estimate that it would cost around £6.5million to demolish the original school buildings and upgrade the leisure facilities to meet modern standards in terms of energy efficiency and health and safety - given its age and current condition.

The annual running cost for the facility is approximately £437k and since 2021 there has been no budget for this, since the longer term intention always was to demolish the entire site, following the transfer to the Barony Campus.

It is for these reasons that the preferred option is to close the centre, with the possible exception of retaining the football pitches as set out below, while focusing on making sure that leisure facilities throughout the area are accessible and welcoming to all.

In closing the centre our priority is to make sure that all our residents have equal opportunities to access quality leisure facilities. We recognise that our previous consultations may have overlooked some of these aspects, and we are looking for your feedback to make sure that we have considered and catered for the needs of all users.

To support this we're undertaking an Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) which we encourage you to read as part of this consultation.

The available options

Following consultations, expert reviews and the results of our Cabinet discussions and decisions, and recognising that the Council does not have the resources to maintain these facilities, we propose to close both the Leisure Centre and the pitches at the end of March 2024, with existing users transferring to alternative leisure facilities in the area.

We believe that these facilities can provide an equivalent or even enhanced offer.

In November 2023 following engagement with user groups, we agreed that the synthetic grass pitch would remain open until spring 2024 to allow further consultation to take place.

With that in mind, we are consulting on two options:

Option 1

  • Auchinleck Leisure Centre closes at end of March 2024 with existing users signposted to alternative sites.
  • Auchinleck Academy pitches remain open, with temporary changing facilities in place until a transfer to Merlin Park is finalised.

Option 2

  • Auchinleck Leisure Centre closes at the end of March 2024 with existing users signposted to alternative sites.
  • East Ayrshire Council retains the Auchinleck Academy pitches, with modular changing facilities in place.

These options would not negate the right for any community body in requesting an Asset Transfer under Section 5 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

How to get involved

This survey has now closed.

Keep updated

To receive email updates about this consultation, please visit StayConnected and subscribe to Auchinleck Consultation

Page last updated: 16 Feb 2024, 04:23 PM