Secrecy surrounding NAC’s bid to buy the Rivergate has been blasted by Irvine community councillors.

Members of the Irvine community body said council tax-payers have every right to know details of the proposed purchase and – along with the Times – lodged a Freedom of Information request asking how much has been spent on the failed bid.

However one member argued, at its meeting last Wednesday, that council ownership could have been beneficial for the regeneration of both Irvine and the rest of North Ayrshire, with profits currently going to US owners Kennedy Wilson.

Elected members who voted 17/16 against buying the Rivergate are indefinitely gagged by NAC, with the local authority saying anyone who speaks publicly faces censure or disqualification as a councillor

Community Council Chair Scott Gunion said: “The whole process has been a series of meetings behind closed doors, with the public excluded.

“We would like to know who orchestrated the proceedings of buying the mall, how much has been spent in lawyers and consultation fees, whether or not local services were used throughout the process, and if not why not.

“At a time of great financial hardship, the public simply want to know the details involved in NAC’s attempt to generate a loan of £55million for the purchase and how much has been wasted at a time when the council are cutting services by £17 million.

“Couldn’t the money splashed out already have been invested in local services.”

At their meeting last week, Community councillor Jackie Frew said: “I think it should be more public that all the rent paid is right now going to America.

“It’s not staying here to revitalise, not just Irvine, but the whole of North Ayrshire. Many residents I spoke to don’t even know the money’s going to America.”

NAC officer Melanie Anderson said: “At the [special council] meeting the council took a legal resolution for reasons of commercial sensitivity.

“It would be illegal for any elected member to disclose anything from it, so that element won’t be covered by the FoI inquiry, but there may be other elements.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson told the Times: “All elected members must adhere to the Councillors Code of Conduct. Section 3 of the Code makes it clear that if papers are confidential, councillors must observe such requirements for confidentiality.

“Anyone found in breach of this could face sanctions from the Standards Commission for Scotland, varying from censure to disqualification of a councillor.

They added: “We will not be making any further comment.”

The secret special council meeting was held in private due to information “relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (other than the authority), “amount of expenditure proposed to be incurred by the authority under any particular contract for the acquisition of property’ and “any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the authority in the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services.”

Labour voted for the plans, with the Conservative group voting against it, while the SNP split with members from Irvine and Kilwinning voting in favour and others across North Ayrshire rejecting the bid.

Your views

Reacting to the news on Facebook Catherine McCormack said: “Good - for a council that’s moaning they’re skint how they could consider this in the first place is beyond me.”

However, resident Sylvia Mallinson disagreed, saying: “I wish this had went ahead it clearly would of generated an income that would have stayed in North Ayrshire.”

Alex Younger said: "Delighted to see that we have 17 councillors capable of making a sensible decision over the proposal to buy the Rivergate. Do the officials who recommended this deal really think that Kennedy Wilson would have even contemplated selling the mall if it had a long term sustainable future without it costing a lot of money on its upkeep.

"Good for you ladies and gentlemen you just saved North Ayrshire Council from putting a financial millstone round its neck.

Dionne Strachan said: “They should be spending money on regenerating the Forum, Ruby’s, The Cavern and plenty of other areas in the town.

Rebecca Brown said: “Jolly good, was a stupid idea anyway.”

Colin Bilby said: “Good if they have a spare £55million to spend they should be focusing on the neglected parts of Irvine and providing entertainment for kids. It’s depressing walking through the mall at night and seeing bored teenagers hanging about.

While Douglas McIntosh simply said: “Phew”