A “serendipitous” £260,000 Angus development ahead of the Commonwealth Games has been branded a “pet project” that was “pushed through with scaremongering.”
Local elected members have claimed a last-minute addition to council business has been “parachuted in” so Carnoustie can enjoy a revamp of its leisure centre before the games next year.
Angus Provost and burgh councillor Helen Oswald welcomed a chance realisation of plans for a local skatepark and long-absent beach caf.
But opponents said the urgency and lack of prior warning for the plans were reminiscent of the last days of the Angus Alliance administration, before the SNP assumed council control in 2012.
Mrs Oswald said: “We anticipate the completion date is in time for the Commonwealth Games coming to Angus and also the opening of this, there is hope the skatepark project will be complete in time for the games.
“There is serendipity about these two projects going ahead at the same time. Traditionally this facility will be used in the evening by people who use the skatepark.”
The “pet project” tag had been regularly attached to capital projects pre-2012 such as the new Marine Avenue swimming pool in Montrose and the West Links Playpark in Arbroath.
Former Alliance member Councillor David Fairweather said during a meeting of the neighbourhood services committee: “It’s always delightful having to move money that should be for future years back to now.
“I do recall a playpark in West Links for which we got considerable stick and turned out to be a considerable asset.”
Kirriemuir SNP councillor Iain Gaul said funding would come from cash previously earmarked for playing fields, arrangements for which are already being made.
Local independent councillor Bill Bowles said there were “question marks” over the way the item was introduced and it was initially uncertain whether the wider plan for the town “or lack of it” would be affected.
He added: “But I’ve had assurances from the director that this will be in isolation and not affect money for the sport pitch at Newton Farm or future development of the pavilion building for the rugby club.”
It is expected around 500 athletes, plus support staff, will compete in events held at Barry Buddon. The sold-out events will run from June 25-29 and could attract around 2,500 visitors per day.
Councillors approved completion of Carnoustie Leisure Centre improvements, and noted the position of the pavilion and development of pitches at Shanwell Road, but local independent councillor Brian Boyd said the plans had been “railroaded through”.
Mr Boyd said: “David Fairweather was right to say it is a pet project. We are all excited about the upcoming Commonwealth Games shooting at Barry and hope that this time we can finally get it right that visitors to a prestigious sporting event actually visit the High Street and spend some money rather than being bussed in and bussed out as usual.
“Given these other alternatives I cannot understand why there is such a rush to spend so much public money on a conservatory/caf for the Beach Hall when the shooting at Barry only lasts three days.
“Investing this money in leisure facilities in Carnoustie was scheduled for 2016/17 but instead this has been pushed forward and as a result we risk failing to make the best of our scarce capital projects budget. Even more insulting to the people of Carnoustie, the rush means there is no time for proper tendering and the project has already been increased by £60,000 to 260,000. This is an outrageous potential waste of public money and totally unnecessary.
“Such spendthrift recklessness at a time when we are reducing services like meals on wheels and closing public toilets is shameful.
“Instead of this rush we need to slow down for proper consultation, we need to develop a business case and identify committed partners this is why the original time frame was imagined in the budget.”