South Ayrshire Council has been accused of "jumping the gun" over the £1.9 million demolition of three high rise blocks of flats in Ayr.

Work on pulling down the three Riverside Place blocks is set to start next month - even though, according to the area's community council, some of the flats still have tenants living in them.

The council's Leadership Panel, at a meeting earlier today, was asked to consider fast-tracking demolition of the Riverside Place buildings, with work pencilled in to begin in February for around six months.

Once demolished, 96 new affordable homes will be built on the site.

The motion was approved by the panel.

Councillor Brian Saxton said: "The hgh flats have been a trying experience through assisting people to move into their preferred locations.

"A very professional job was done by experienced housing officers, looking after individual needs of around 210 tenants.

"My thanks to all involved and also to the tenants for their patience. We're now coming to the end of this programme and I'm happy we can now concentrate on the new development of the units on this site."

Council leader Peter Henderson said: "I applaud everyone's patience during a trying period over the last while but especialy the officers concerned with doing what is not a nice job - with care, with comfort and with a good insight."

Councillor Brian McGinley said: "Safety comes first in my book to ensure that residents have warm and safe homes and the officer have carried out this difficult task with sensitivity and maturity."

It is understood that the number of residents remaining in the flats will be down to single figures within a couple of weeks.

One of the reasons SAC cites for the sudden move, which is being made before any designs for the new flats have been revealed, is to clear away vegetation before the start of the bird nesting season.

Peter Henderson said: "I'm glad to see the enabling works taking place and I think people should understand that if we delay the stripping preparation into the breeding season then we'd have all sorts of delays."

The council also says it is in advanced talks over the relocation of a telecommunications mast which is contracted to sit on the top of one of the blocks until 2025.

Norman McLean, chairman of Fort, Seafield and Wallacetown Community Council, has campaigned against the demolition and hit out at the latest move.

He said: “This is jumping the gun and should be legally challenged.

“It appears that the original design has not been adopted and therefore there are no design proposals. There is no planning application for “approximately 96 houses” and there appears to be more concern for the birds than the now few remaining residents.”

He questioned whether spending £1.9m in ‘anticipation’ of approval of designs, government subsidies and planning consent was about ‘nesting season’ or was an attemtpt to ‘block any possible change of policy by an incoming administration in May.

He added: “This whole project appears to be completely out of control.”

“The money from the housing capital programme would be better spent in Wallacetown to insulate these houses in anticipation of huge hikes in long term energy costs.

"Consideration has, of course, also to be given to the carbon emissions created by demolition works.”

Officials want to make use of a system which would allow them to bring in contractors to carry out demolition work, despite not having completed the main contract proposals.

In a report to the Leadership Panel, Kevin Carr, SAC's assistant director of place, said: “Prior to the development of affordable homes, there is a requirement to demolish the existing buildings on the site – the high rise flats at Riverside Place.

“It is proposed that these demolitions are carried out as an enabling works contract in advance of the main works.

“Subject to approval, it is proposed to commence the demolition phase by the end of February 2022 with the works taking approximately 26 weeks to complete.

“A further report with the final proposals, costs and programme will be submitted to the Leadership Panel.

“One of the services offered by HubSW to fast track the construction programme is the use of enabling contracts, which facilitate early works to prepare the site whilst the development of the main works proposals is concluded.

“In this case there is a requirement to commence a site strip (vegetation) at the end of February to make sure this is under way before the start of the nesting season, otherwise site start would be delayed for a number of months.”