"Why can"t we build our new community centre at Moorburn?" - that is the question being posed by community councillors after NAC agreed to grant funds for a multi-million pound facility in Largs.

While North Ayrshire Council still look set to press ahead with the sale of Moorburn Chambers, Largs Community Council believe that the historic seafront property could still be retained with its extensive grounds potentially housing modern facilities.

At last week"s meeting of the community council, its members urged the siting of the new centre in and around Moorburn Chambers instead of the current preferred option of the dilapidated Stevenson Institute in Lade Street.

However, while Largs councillor Alan Hill told them that it would cost more to keep Moorburn open than it would to build an entirely new centre, he also conceded that its site had yet to be determined.

Under current plans, Moorburn"s council services will switch to neighbouring Brooksby later this year with the opening of the North West Area Resource Centre.

Speaking at Moorburn, community council chairman Ian Murdoch asked if it was true that money from the planned sale of the chambers would not be ploughed directly into a new community centre.

North Ayrshire councillor Alan Hill replied: 'The money from the sale of this place will not be used for a new facility. It will be provided from the council"s capital plan.

'The council declared it (Moorburn) surplus to requirements three years ago.

'If local groups came forward with a proposal that would actually save Moorburn then they would look at that. No group has come forward to try to do that.

'The intention is that the new community centre will be up in the next three years.' However, Mr Murdoch said: 'This committee has been against the closure of this building. I was quite shocked that if we sold this then the money would not go to the centre.' Mr Hill said of the plan to sell Moorburn: 'At the end of the day, it was better from the town"s perspective than to save a building that was not fit for purpose. It"s not by any stretch of the imagination a well-used building.

'It would cost more than the community centre to keep this place going. In my opinion we got the best deal possible for the town.

'It may not even be the Stevenston Institute - that would be the preferred site. If another site emerges then that would be looked at.' However, referring to the institute, he added: 'It"s available, it"s in the town centre - clearly it"s going to be the first port of call.' Asked if Moorburn could be maintained along with a new community centre, Mr Hill said: 'In an ideal world we would keep the building, but the council is not going to restore and maintain it. Both is not an option.' But the chairman said: 'They are going to spend the money, so spend the money here.' North Ayrshire councillor Elisabethe Marshall commented: 'I think we should have both.' Her husband, community councillor Tom Marshall added: 'The council trip off stories, but basically there"s not much wrong with the structure of this place.

'If you were here you would have 250 parking spaces. You could build your purpose-built community centre out the back.' Fellow committee member David Castelvecchi said: 'There"s room to build some purpose-built community centre. I think a bit of careful planning could see a big difference in it.' Referring to the hosting of civic receptions in the town if Moorburn was lost, Mr Murdoch commented: 'Where do we go to take them? The local cafe?' Members of the community council unanimously agreed that Moorburn should be retained and discussed starting a campaign to stop its sale.