SOUTH Ayrshire council have announced they will make a ‘significant’ investment in schools as part of their budget.

But council tax will rise by nearly 5% as confirmed by leader Councillor Douglas Campbell last month.

Councillors launched the ambitious plans for this year which includes improvements and new education facilities across nine various schools and early years centres, with £148 million set to be invested.

The list includes a new Maybole Community Campus, a new St John’s Primary school, a new Sacred Heart Primary School, a Wallacetown Early Years Centre and a shared campus for Glenburn and St Ninians’s Primaries in Prestwick.

Improvement works at Kyle Academy and Girvan Academy have also been confirmed in the pipeline as part of the core Capital Investment Programme worth £362.8 million which will be spent over the next 10 years.

Today South Ayrshire Councillors agreed a landmark budget which they say will balance the books but set out ambitious plans for the future.

Councillors agreed a General Services Revenue Budget (or day-to day budget) of £279.6 million for 2020/21. This includes a record-breaking £76.6 million for the South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, an increase of £2.4 million on last year’s commitment.

Leisure facilities are also set to receive an injection of cash to support residents and care for health and wellbeing across communities.

This investment includes £36.5 million to be spent over the next three years on a new leisure facility in Ayr Town Centre whilst £400,000 has been allocated for sporting improvements in Whitletts, and £6.7 million for new sports facilities at Craigie. £825,000 has also been allocated for an all-weather pitch in Girvan.

The Council’s ambition to make South Ayrshire a better place to live includes the regeneration of town centres. This ambition is boosted by an investment of £825,000 to regenerate Maybole Town Centre over the next two years.

In Ayr, the transformation of the riverside site is set to continue, with £5 million allocated to turn the bottom of the High Street into an events hub. A further £825,000 has been allocated to bring the Ayrshire Archives Centre into the heart of the Ayr.

Roads across South Ayrshire will see an additional investment of £2.5 million, which now takes the 10 year commitment to £17 million. £191,350 will also be spent on improvements to The Flushes car park in Girvan.

This budget also reflects the Council’s commitment to expand early learning and childcare in line with Scottish Government targets. By investing £8.3 million, early learning and childcare provision will almost double to 1,140 hours for all three and four year olds, and eligible two year olds.

A further £2.3 million, to help close the poverty related attainment gap in our schools, giving our young people the best start in life.

Council Tax will increase 4.48%, meaning an increase per household between11p and 42p per day, depending on the Council Tax band of the property. An average Council Tax Band D property will see a rise of 17p per day.

Its expected the rise will generate £60.8 million, an increase of £3.8 million on last year which SAC has helped protect vital services and avoided the closure of facilities.

Councillor Douglas Campbell, Leader of South Ayrshire Council said: “Setting this budget has been a real challenge but, for the third time, this Administration has delivered a balanced budget which ensures South Ayrshire is one of the best places to live, work or visit.

“I would like to thank residents who participated in the ‘Our Future – Let’s Talk’ consultation, giving us their views on our future spending. Their feedback has been invaluable in determining the direction of this budget.

“Raising Council Tax was not an easy decision, but is necessary to avoid making cuts which could devastate our communities. We intend to use 1.84% of this increase to support schools and to avoid closing any facilities."