COASTWATCH could be set to walk away from their takeover of the Irvine beach toilets - after a failed bid for council funding.

After initially being saved by the charity, the toilets are once again at risk of closure after an application for further funding was rejected.

But North Ayrshire Council say additional funding for the project was never guaranteed.

Earlier this year, the Times told how the toilets - which were facing the axe as part of North Ayrshire Council budget cuts - were saved at the 11th hour by Coastwatch.

A Community Asset Transfer for both the Pilot House and the toilet blocks at the beach were approved by councillors in May.

This would see Coastwatch not only keep the toilets open for the public but create further space to carry out coastal-safety related work.

An amendment to the budget saw the beach toilets protected from the cuts.

The proposal from the SNP administration was met with huge public outcry with residents and businesses fearing removing the toilets would have a negative impact on the Harbourside area.

But after failing in their bid for a development officer to help with the project, Coastwatch chair Billy Lamb says he and the rest of the volunteers are ready to walk away.

And to make matters worse, capital funding for the Pilot House development has faced a setback.

An Extraordinary General Meeting is due to be held tonight (Wednesday, September 28) in the Gate Centre in Fullarton.

Speaking this week, Billy says he’s disappointed with the situation and believes Coastwatch have been ‘victims of their own success’.

He said: “The funding wasn’t initially part of the talks but they came to us and said ‘listen, we’ll help you apply for this funding’ which was great. We were interviewed by the directors of the grant trusts about our funding applications.

“But at the end of a meeting about the asset transfer we were told we wouldn’t be getting the funding, no reason was given.

“I put about 30 hours a week into Coastwatch as well as working and having a family life, so we’re now having a re-think.”

Billy added: “You sit and think ‘are we victims of our own success?’ because we’ve done so much with the Pilot House without the council being involved so maybe they think we’ve got enough money and there can be money spent elsewhere.

“We were told that the capital expenditure on the Pilot House has been held back for a few years also.

“At that point we were thinking if we get the toilets up and running we could do things bit by bit.

“The whole situation really is a major set-back for us.”

North Ayrshire Council say there was no agreement for funding as part of the asset transfer but insist they will continue to support Coastwatch.

A spokesperson said: “Earlier this year, we agreed to transfer the Pilot House, and toilet accommodation at Irvine beach, to Coastwatch Scotland, under our Community Asset Transfer programme.

“This transfer allows the group to develop proposals and funding bids to restore the Pilot House to public use as a coastal education and environmental centre and, in addition, the group would also continue to provide public access to the nearby toilet accommodation and make use of the facility for storage and meetings.

“The transfer does not include funding for any post and no such funding agreement was made. We did, however, offer to help Coastwatch seek third-party funding for a development officer and Coastwatch approved a funding application which has been submitted.

“We have been working closely with Coastwatch over the transfer of the Pilot House and the public toilets and will continue to offer advice and support in any way we can.”