Surviving Station Hotel wing must be at heart of Ayr Town Centre regeneration

SAVE has called for the retention of Ayr Station Hotel’s north wing and tower as a key priority in South Ayrshire Council’s emerging vision for Ayr Town Centre. Draft plans are currently out for public consultation until 1st March

8th February 2024

SAVE Britain’s Heritage has submitted detailed comments on the council’s proposed vision to revitalise Ayr’s historic town centre amidst the ongoing demolition of the station hotel’s south wing. Our response – submitted via the council’s online consultation page – welcomes the council’s intention to revitalise the town centre, but makes it clear that it is must not mean the end of the road for the listed station hotel’s north wing and clock tower. 

The key objective must now be to ensure these surviving sections of the landmark station hotel are retained as part of council’s plans to upgrade Ayr Station and improve the surrounding area linking to Burns Statue Square. We have argued that creating a modern railway station which is fully accessible can be achieved without tearing the heart out of the town.

Since late 2023, South Ayrshire Council has demolished much of the category B listed building’s south wing on public safety grounds but is yet to publish a single evidence report setting out the condition of the building before or during the demolition works. SAVE has consistently requested the council urgently make public all the advice and reports relied on to justify the current level of demolition, as well as their plans for the surviving north wing and tower, which were less affected by the fire in September 2023.

Our response calls for the council’s vision to focus on the natural strengths of Ayr, namely its seaside location, historic buildings and character, cultural heritage and its international reputation through Robert Burns and golf. Retaining existing historic buildings of architectural quality would be a critical ingredient for achieving this, and giving visitors and residents alike the sense of arrival and place that Ayr deserves.

We see the repurposing of the north wing of Ayr Station Hotel and the tower as the ideal gateway to the town, and the surest means of introducing new facilities and uses to help regenerate the town centre, whilst retaining its original historic character. The council and Network Rail - which owns the adjoining station and the ground floor of the hotel’s north wing - have the perfect opportunity to send a signal with this project that Ayr is open for business and cares about its history, which goes hand in hand with the future prosperity of the town.

See SAVE’s full consultation response here.

The council’s draft Town Centre Strategy is out for public consultation now, and you can submit your comments and suggestions on the plans before 1st March 2024.

Background

Ayr Station Hotel was bought in 2014 by a now absentee owner, and has since fallen into a state of disrepair and was enshrouded in scaffolding to keep rainwater out since October 2018.

In June 2023 leading historic building engineer Ed Morton of the Morton Partnership carried out a detailed condition survey of the Category B-listed building which found that it was in far better condition than previously thought. However, just ten days after his report was published, setting out a fully costed plan for bringing the building back into use, a major fire occurred on 25th September 2023, the second to hit the building in three months. Mr Morton subsequently offered to work alongside the council’s advisors and to offer his expertise to help stabilise the building.

For further background, view our latest press release by visiting our website.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. For more information contact Elizabeth Hopkirk – elizabeth.hopkirk@savebritainsheritage.org/ 020 7253 3500

2. SAVE has been working, in collaboration with local groups and national experts, to save Ayr Station Hotel for about 5 years. More info on our website. This is our latest press release on the long-running case

3. SAVE Britain’s Heritage is an independent voice in conservation that fights for threatened historic buildings and sustainable reuses. We stand apart from other organisations by bringing together architects, engineers, planners and investors to offer viable alternative proposals. Where necessary, and with expert advice, we take legal action to prevent major and needless losses.

Image captions:

1 - The category B-listed landmark in better days in summer 2018, just prior to being encapsulated in scaffolding [Credit: © Nigel Hackett for SAVE Britain’s Heritage]

2 - NOW: Image of the station hotel in early February 2024, with the south wing carved open by the ongoing demolition works [Credit: SAVE Britain’s Heritage]

3 - 2023: The station hotel post fire, before demolition began in late October 2023. The south wing is to the right, still largely intact and shrouded in the original scaffolding encapsulation, much of which survived intact from the fire [Credit: © SAVE Britain's Heritage]