Refurbished Ayrshire football pitches 'constantly vandalised'
KA LeisureThe chief executive of Ayrshire's main leisure body has hit out at vandalism to football pitches in Irvine which followed a major refurbishment of the facilities.
Malcolm McPhail condemned continuing damage - including a fire set on a children's pitch - to newly renovated grass pitches at the Circuit in Quarry Road.
The pitches were refurbished following successful funding obtained by KA Leisure from the Scottish FA and North Ayrshire Council.
It followed long-standing calls from local communities for increased access to quality playing surfaces, to support both organised club football and informal, casual use by the local community - a move which left the grounds unfenced.
The decision not to fence them off was taken to allow young people access without having to organise bookings. It was hoped this would encourage positive and informal participation in sport and physical activity.
However, since the renovation work was completed, the pitches have been repeatedly damaged.
A recent incident saw a fire set on a children's seven-a-side pitch, which caused significant damage and will result in further delays to the opening of the facilities for teams and bookings.
Local Democracy Reporting ServiceMcPhail said KA Leisure was "extremely disappointed and concerned by the repeated damage and vandalism" to the Circuit.
"These facilities were delivered for the benefit of local communities, particularly young people, and it is deeply frustrating to see efforts undermined in this way," he said.
"We remain committed to working with partners, clubs, and communities to deliver high-quality sporting spaces.
"However, continued damage places additional strain on resources and threatens the long-term sustainability to these facilities. The repeated vandalism has also raised concerns around future access."
The chief executive said confidence in keeping the facilities accessible for informal bookings had now been reduced.
