SNP councillors have vowed to fight to keep the swimming pool and gym facilities at Harvies Leisure Centre in Stevenston.

They have been campaigning for retention of the Stevenston facilities after it emerged earlier this year that proposals for the new Ardrossan campus included moving the pool and gym to the new site.

In a joint statement Councillors Davina McTiernan and Scott Davidson said: “We look forward to campaigning alongside the people of Stevenston and Kilwinning to keep the Stevenston facility.

“We are very supportive of Ardrossan getting its new campus, thanks to significant Scottish Government funding and subject to concerns raised by our Councillors for Ardrossan and Arran being addressed satisfactorily.

“However this new proposed Ardrossan Academy campus must not be at the expense of Stevenston losing its pool and gym.

“We are supposed to be encouraging sport and physical activity, but relocating Harvies pool and gym to a site further away from both Stevenston and Kilwinning would do the opposite.

Stevenston councillor Davina McTiernan said: “I am delighted that the Leader of North Ayrshire Council has taken on board the advice offered by my fellow SNP councillor, Scott Davidson, at the council meeting in February of this year.

“Councillor Davidson proposed a separate consultation regarding the proposed closure of Harvies pool and leisure centre.

“The people of Stevenston would be grossly affected by the closure of Harvies.

“It does not make sense to move sports facilities away from the community; in fact move the facilities two towns away and off a main bus route.”

Councillor Scott Davidson added: “As one of many Kilwinning people who regularly use the facilities at Harvies, I raised a question at the February council meeting aimed at holding the administration to account.

“I asked the Council Leader to commit to a ‘Harvies only’ public consultation, specifically to allow the people of Stevenston and Kilwinning to have their say.

“SNP members across the whole of North Ayrshire are committed to saving Harvies and stopping Labour’s closures plans.

“We will be holding street stalls and asking local people to sign the petition to ‘Save Harvies’, which we will present to the Labour administration.

“The voice of the people must be heard in this matter, and local people can be assured that the SNP are on their side.”