A controversial bid to hand over control of Ralston's community sports facility to a hockey club is at the centre of fresh outrage.
Kelburne Hockey Club bosses have applied to Renfrewshire Council to secure a transfer of the property, which would see them gain control of the area's sports centre.
The organisation are locked into a Community Asset Transfer bid - which would see the local authority transfer control under the scheme, which allows public bodies to hand over management or ownership of a property asset to a community-led body.
But the move has proved contentious with some sections of the community dead set against the plan and would-be operators Kelburne insisting the centre would remain at the heart of the community.
Now local councillor David McGonigle has hit out, saying the move will see £600,000 diverted away from his ward.
The Conservative politician has branded the plans "badly misguided" and says he has spoken with members of the area's other hockey clubs - Anchor and Ferguslie - who operate from their base at Linwood's On-X centre.
They voiced concerns that the future of their clubs could be jeopardised if funding is earmarked to support the transfer of the Ralston site to Kelburne and hitting sporting resources in Linwood.
Renfrewshire Conservative group leader Neill Graham and local Scottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay have been leading the fight against the Ralston proposals on behalf of the community, who fear they would be locked out of community facilities if the transfer was to go ahead.
Houston, Crosslee and Linwood councillor, David McGonigle, said: “While the focus has rightly been on what this asset transfer application would mean for Ralston, it could also have seriously damaging consequences for my ward as well.
“I heard at the meeting in Ralston recently the passionate case against these proposals and I wholeheartedly agreed with the views being put forward.
“It is my Renfrewshire Conservative colleagues, Neill Graham and Russell Findlay who have led the charge against the plans. Typically, the SNP were nowhere to be seen at this meeting. They have sought to avoid tough questions over the proposals from Kelburne for far too long."
He added: "Make no mistake, the effects of this asset transfer would be met far and wide across Renfrewshire. It is not about stopping the development of hockey, but as other local hockey clubs have pointed out to me, it could have a very damaging impact on their future operations if this money is diverted away.
“This situation is going to come to a head and I will be proud to stand with local clubs in my ward in Linwood, and I know my colleagues will continue to stand alongside those local residents in Ralston.
“We haven’t been afraid of making our feelings known that this application from Kelburne is misguided. Now is the time for the SNP to come off the fence and decide who will get the keys to Ralston. Local people cannot continue to be left in the dark.”
His views were backed by David Stone, President of Anchor Hockey Club, who added: "We are absolutely not against the development of hockey in the area and we recognise Kelburne’s past dominance and success puts them in a great position to deliver hockey.
“However, we feel that this proposal will be to the detriment of multiple sports groups in Ralston and the wider area and will only aid the advancement of one club; Kelburne."
We told last month how Kelburne have pledged to keep Ralston Sports Centre at the heart of the community if the transfer plan goes ahead.
The club has launched a public consultation, outlining plans to invest in the centre, currently operataed by Renfrewshire Council's arms-length sports and leisure charity OneRen, by installing Astroturf pitches.
Club secretary Billy Anderson accused Councillor McGonigle of being "disingenuous", saying: "This councillor hasn't taken time to talk to us, I would urge him to come and talk to us and we will explain more about our proposal.
"This is going to benefit people across the whole of Renfrewshire, school hockey has nowhere to play, they are using football pitches. You can't play hockey on a football pitch. Some of those players will go on to play for Kelburne but others will go to Anchor and Ferguslie ladies.
"Our asset transfer request was borne out of a lack of investment for many years in Renfrewshire, there was a plan for investment but that was withdrawn during Covid and we can't play at Linwood because it doesn't meet governing standards.
"We had to go and do this on our own."
He earlier told the Express: "We want to keep the entry fee affordable, we want people to come in and use the gym. Before covid, the centre was used less than 20 times a week for fitness classes.
"We want to get that up to about 50, we want to put more back into it. That's how the business case stands up.
"It will also be free for all the schools to use as well as after-school clubs and Active Schools during the summer."
He added: "We will continue to host Ralston Community Games. We want people to come and use it.
"There are rumours that we won't let anyone else use the facility, it will only be for hockey, and that's not true. We're not a private company, we're a charity.
"Our ethos is doing things for the community and the children within that community."
