16/02/2026
After five years since the initial issues arose, work is finally scheduled to begin on the flood mitigation measures.
This marks a significant step forward for the community, which has endured considerable disruption and uncertainty throughout this protracted period. The commencement of these works brings renewed hope that the persistent problems caused by the previous modifications to Dundonald Playing Field may at last be addressed.
Over a year ago, all parties decided to progress with an option delivered by Atkins (SAC Civil Consultants). However, SAC brought back an option that had previously been discounted, against the wishes of those involved. This decision delayed works by a year. The residents requested technical information behind that decision, but none was provided to justify the delay.
You all might be interested to know that through Freedom of Information requests made by residents, it revealed that an eye watering £340,000 of Council Tax payers’ money has been spent to restore the field and address flooding issues, with further expenditure anticipated by SAC for additional works.
Time will tell if the flood mitigation project is successful. The community, having endured years of disruption and uncertainty, now waits to see whether the measures implemented will truly resolve the ongoing issues caused by previous modifications to Dundonald Playing Field.
The outcome of this project will be closely monitored, as residents hope it will finally deliver the long-awaited relief and reassurance that the area is once again protected from flooding.
This experience highlights an important lesson for any future attempts by South Ayrshire Council to transfer assets to community groups. In this instance, a full and thorough due diligence exercise appears not to have been carried out on the financial and engineering capabilities prior to the asset lease.
It is essential that robust evidence is provided to demonstrate that community groups possess the necessary skills and resources to manage valuable assets effectively. Such diligence will help ensure that transfers deliver positive outcomes for the wider community, rather than benefitting only a select few. By taking these precautions, the risk of repeating a situation like this can be significantly reduced, safeguarding community interests and preventing further issues.
We thank everybody for their continued support during this unfortunate time.
For those who are not up to speed with the issues, we enclose a few photos of the damage done to the field
