Largs Surrey Glen playpark plans are being considered

The Surrey Glen playpark on Alexander Avenue has been earmarked as a possible location - with a report on the idea, with indicative costs, set to go before councillors by the end of the year.

Talks have been held on the potential release of £200,000 for youth projects in the town following the sale of a prominent building on the town's seafront.

The former Helter Skelter teenage cafe on Gallowgate Street was sold last year to businessman Gordon Craig, owner of the Tinto Tapas restaurant chain.

The funds from the sale of the building are being held in the Helter Skelter account. 

The figure in the account is in excess of £100,000 - and the money will be spent on projects for the benefit of young people.

Helter Skelter was set up as a teenage cafe, run by local volunteers, in 1999.

The £100,000 sum can be potentially doubled through 'match funding' applications for Largs projects to other agencies.

Helter Skelter has been sold (Image: Newsquest)

Councillor Alan Hill said any decision making on the spending of money on youth projects would have to actually involve the young people themselves as part of the decision making process to find out what they would actually like to see.

Cllr Hill is chair of the North Coast Locality Planning Partnership (LPP), which is involved in making decisions on funding for the likes of Largs Common Good Fund.

The minutes of the most recent meeting of the North Coast LPP state: "The Partnership discussed the fantastic facilities at Anderson Park including the basketball court and football pitch and requested that a similar project is undertaken at the play park in Alexander Avenue, Largs.

"It agreed to ask officers to prepare a high level proposal and indicative costs to update the partnership at the next meeting."

Cllr Alan Hill (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Hill said: "The Surrey Glen project was one of the suggestions made at a recent meting, and we have done a bit of work with Largs Academy to identify possible projects  in the town from a youngsters' point of view.

"We need a meeting with Helter Skelter trustees to take it forward and move it on - and hopefully we can get the trustees on board for projects like this as there are a variety of possibilities the monies can be used for, and specific projects can then get match funding to, in effect, double the total spend."

The North Coast Locality Planning Partnership received an update on the Helter Skelter funding consultation that went live.

There were 54 responses received.

Discussions also took place with schools to encourage pupils to complete a response.

A range of suggestions were received with 20 per cent of pupils who responded advising they would like to assist in organising events and activities for young people.

Cllr Hill added: "The new Largs Community Development Trust, about which there will be more soon, will also be ready as a potential vehicle to take projects such as this forward and to seek funding locally and nationally to develop much needed community space for Largs."