COUNCIL chiefs have been blasted for missing the boat by failing to ensure toilet facilities at Barassie Beach opened in time for the Summer season.

South Ayrshire Council were scheduled to have the new loos open in time for April – well ahead of the summer rush - with thousands of people descending on the area during what was a quite reasonable summer. However they failed to meet the initial target and many locals voiced strong concern that they were not ready.

However they won’t now be open until later this month, although work on the project is now virtually complete.

Troon Community Councillor Erica Williamson spoke out at the group’s monthly meeting in the Walker Hall last Tuesday.

She said: “Why has it taken from February until now to not have the toilets open, you have missed the whole Summer.

“You would have thought SAC could have got jobs slotted in one after the other.

“It seems to have been one snag after the other – putting back putting back, putting back.

“The shore was busy for the whole Summer and the poor visitors have had to make do with portaloos.”

She added: “ How can a private developer in the community sort out their own sewage in weeks and four toilets on the beach can’t be sorted out in months. It’s just ridiculous – I can’t understand it.”

Councillor Philip Saxton was happy the wait for the opening is now all but over.

He said: “The completion date was April or May. But the toilets will be officially opened later this month.

There were some problems with the water supply and we had to call Scottish Water in.

“We have waited five or six years for this, so another couple of months isn’t going to make any difference.”