Council rule out purchase of Ayr Ice Rink after 'first refusal' offer
Council Leader Martin Dowey says the council will not be buying Ayr Ice Rink.
Last updated 31st Jul 2023
South Ayrshire Council leader Martin Dowey is telling Greatest Hits Radio that the authority will not be buying Ayr Ice Rink after the owners gave them ‘first refusal’.
Last month, Ayrshire Curlers Ltd who run the rink said they’ll be closing the venue due to the operation becoming unviable with rocketing energy bills anticipated from October.
However, in a turn of events Managing Director of the club Andrew Kerr announced last week that Ayrshire Curlers Ltd have put the rink up for sale and given the council first refusal.
Mr Dowey is telling West FM News that there’s been a lot of misinformation surrounding the Ice Rink saga and says it isn’t legal for them to purchase the rink as it’s a private company, but he has a buyer already lined up.
He says there are two options going forward that would save the ice rink and the solution is easy.
He said: “There’s two options here. Ayrshire Curlers Ltd parks its asset and transitions into a charitable organisation, and then there will be funding available from the council and from Sport Scotland.
“Or they sell it to an investor that I’ve sourced, and then the Ice Hockey and skating clubs would run the venue as a charity, and the same funding will be available to them.
“All Ayrshire Curlers have to do is accept that. If it has a charity status, then there is funding available. The council has done everything we can, but our hands are tied because it is a private company.
“It’s pretty easy to save the premises. Mr Kerr said this isn’t about money, but it seems to be now.
“The council can’t pay shareholders of a private company half a million pounds. Legally we’re not allowed.
“Nobody wants to lose the ice rink. The only people who are stopping this from happening is Mr Kerr and the board.”
On Friday Greatest Hits Radio reported that the organisers of the Save Ayr Ice Rink petition are working to secure charitable status so they can work with whoever purchases the rink.
The petitioners are made up of members from Ayr Bruins Ice Hockey Club, Ayr Figure Skating Club and Kyle Figure Skating Club, and they say there is an open invitation for the curling clubs to join them.
Around 500 members from 30 curling clubs plus the hundreds of members of the hockey and skating clubs use Ayr Ice Rink.
Mhairi Logan is one of the people behind the petition and told Greatest Hits Radio that the rink going up for sale could work in their favour.
She said: “Whether it’s the council that purchase it or another body, as long as the clubs stick together and work together, we do think there is a positive outcome to be had. However, this accelerates things and we would have preferred the rink was put up for sale earlier.
“The next steps over the next few weeks, is to put a focus on securing and finalising our charitable status and continuing our talks with South Ayrshire Council to see what can be done.
“Being a charity means you can access a lot of funding sources, and there could be lots of groups using the building as well. Having public skating again would bring in more income, so I think if the rink was used in a more diverse way, then that would help offset the increased energy costs.”
Managing Director of Ayrshire Curlers Ltd said: “Our situation remains unchanged. From the start of our new energy contract on 1 October the business will be financially unviable, and we are therefore proceeding towards a Members Voluntary Liquidation at the end of September.
“It’s very regrettable and there seems little prospect that closure of the Rink can be avoided, hence the decision to put the site on the market.”