Action plan hope for Hillend

A MAKE-OR-BREAK action plan has been approved by Midlothian Council in a bid to save Europe's longest artificial ski slope from closure as demands for government support grow.

Councillors at yesterday's full council meeting called for national funding to secure the future of Hillend, which is running at a loss of more than 500,000 per year.

The councillors approved a report which recommended that the council works closely with the national body for sport, sportscotland, to review the centre's operation.

Staff cuts, price increases for school visits and casual visitors, and changes to the centre's loss-making cafe were also approved.

Councillors will be given a full report on the joint review – and the impact the cost-cutting measures have made on the centre's viability – at a meeting to be held no later than August.

Council leader Derek Milligan said: "I will write to ministers today to ask for a meeting to see if there are any prospects of funding from the Scottish Government.

"If it is a national facility, then there should be some national funding."

It is hoped that the cost-saving measures will help reduce the centre's deficit for 2010/11 by almost 218,000, to just over 346,000.

However, SNP councillor for Midlothian West, Owen Thompson, raised concerns over the price increases. He said: "Why are we increasing charges by 20 per cent for schools when there is only a 2.5 per cent increase for private use?"

Director of education and communities, Donald MacKay, replied: "The school side of it has been highly subsidised up to now."

Midlothian Council has spent more than 5 million subsidising Hillend since 1996. Less than 20 per cent of the centre's current users are from Midlothian.

Councillor Milligan added: "The taxpayers of Midlothian have subsidised what is a fantastic national facility since 1996, with no help from anyone else.

"We've agreed to keep the subsidy going for a short while to allow others who value this centre to come forward and help, and we'll work with sportscotland."

Lothians MSP Ian McKee will today hold talks with Cllr Milligan.

He said: "Midlothian Council's pledge to keep the centre open for five months while savings are implemented is not a big enough guarantee it will stay open."