Auchinleck Leisure Centre: East Ayrshire Council consultation

The council had originally told users that the centre, at the old Auchinleck Academy, was due to close by the end of November, with that date then being pushed back until the new year

It was then announced that Auchinleck Leisure Community Committee (ALCC) - set up in the aftermath of EAC's decision to close the facility - had started legal action against the local authority for the handling of their decision to close the centre.

READ MORE: Auchinleck Academy building due to be demolished

Now the closure is set to happen in March, with East Ayrshire Council holding an online and three in-person consultation sessions to look at the future of the site.

The first session will take place this Friday (January 5) from 2-4pm at the Boswell Centre in Auchinleck.

A further two sessions will be held on Thursday, January 11 from 6-8pm and on Saturday, January 13 from 1-3pm, both in the Boswell Centre.

A large group gathered at a public meeting to voice their anger at plans to shut Auchinleck Leisure Centre. (Image: Charlie Gilmour)

EAC said that the plan was always to demolish the centre and adjoining Academy building once the school's transfer to the new Robert Burns Academy in Cumnock had been completed.

They added that it would cost an estimated £6.5million to demolish the original school buildings and upgrade the leisure facilities to meet modern standards of energy efficiency and health and safety.

Now, proposals are in place to demolish the centre, with feedback being sought on the future of the football pitches at the site.

One option for the pitches is that they will remain open, with temporary changing facilities in place until a transfer to Merlin Park is finalised. 

The other is that East Ayrshire Council retains the Auchinleck Academy pitches, with modular changing facilities in place.

You can view more details and have your say on the East Ayrshire Council website.