Council pay expert to oversee leisure centre facelift

Apr 24 2009 by Lex Brown, Irvine Herald

A CONSULTANT is to be brought in to oversee alterations to the Auchenharvie Leisure Centre in Stevenston – because North Ayrshire Council don’t have the expertise.

They don’t have any structural engineers and their electricians are tied up with other projects.

This week the council executive agreed to bring in the original consultant to provide them with regular progress reports on the project.

The scheme involves the creation of a new ice rink and internal alterations as part of a £25m programme to update facilities across North Ayrshire.

The executive heard that the current ice rink will be closed next month and the appointment of a consultant was time critical to the project.

They agreed to appoint Glasgow based Harley Haddow on a negotiated basis rather than put the job out to tender.

Corporate director Tom Orr told the executive: “The appointment of Harley Haddow is recommended as the most expedient and appropriate way of progressing the scheme because they have the appropriate expertise and detailed knowledge of the building.”

The fee is expected to be in excess of £30,000 but less than the amount required under European Procurement Rules which would have meant going out to tender.

The new rink, which will serve all of North Ayrshire, is expected to be completed by 2011.

It will clear the way for work on a new purpose-built leisure centre in the grounds of Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine to replace the ageing Magnum.