Ayr's 21 At Risk buildings according to Historic Environment Scotland

Ayr's 21 At Risk buildings according to Historic Environment Scotland

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Ambitious plans to regenerate Ayr’s historic town centre could be held up by a slew of ‘at risk’ buildings.

Famous landmarks such as the Station Hotel and Seafield Hospital feature on the list of 21 properties in the Auld Toun that lie empty.

Government quango Historic Envionment Scotland revealed the buildings at danger of disappearing forever.

They define “at risk” buildings as structures suffering from neglect, structural problems, fire damage or vacant with no identified new use.

James Knox, chairman of town regeneration group Ayr Renaissance, believes the historic, at-risk buildings are key to reviving the town’s fortunes.

READ MORE: £4000 of damage as vandals go on graffiti rampage in Ayr town centre

He said: “I think it’s absolutely essential to bring these buildings back into use. The masonic hall is an incredibly powerful example of that.

“The problem is enforcing and getting owners involved. We’ve had a huge battle with the old Clydesdale Bank building which took David Bell at least a year to track down who the owner was.

“You’re in a vicious cycle – any historic town has this problem where buildings deteriorate so badly so the cost of renovating is more than the value of the building itself, that’s another disincentive.

“The town still has a very rich architectural heritage.

“But it’s not just money that’s needed, it’s passion or a sense of civic responsibility to the buildings. It’s a commitment to historic buildings and to your own buildings.”

(Image: Euan McCall/Ayrshire Post)

Planning chiefs revealed plans to split Ayr town centre into three “quarters” in January, as they bid to revive the town as the “premier destination in south-west Scotland.”

The banks of the River Ayr will be transformed into a “cultural quarter” as part of the plans, alongside the ‘Central Retail Core’, ‘North Hub heritage quarter’ and a ‘South Hub gateway.’

And politician Chic Brodie, standing for re-election in this month’s vote as a member for the South of Scotland region, put together a dossier of even more revolutionary plans.

The SNP man’s dream would have seen Burns House demolished to build a new transport hub and the historic Station Hotel transformed into student flats.

READ MORE: Demolition work in Ayr town centre could begin next year

Town centre councillor Bill Grant has seen Ayr change, with less office and retail space needed, but says he’s optimistic for the future despite 21 historic buildings being listed as “at risk”.

He said: “The council brings the attention to the legal obligation of owners to secure buildings in a safe manner, but the greatest thing is to sustain them for the future.

“Whether that’s employment, some sort of social enterprise, we need to find something that gives them some sort of purpose.

“We need to remodel our towns. We need to cherish the buildings we have.

“Our town centre will get there eventually - it’s a big challenge but I welcome assistance from anywhere.

“I’m an optimist for the town, and I accept the challenges and the changes we need to implement.”