July 24 2019

The future of Ayr Station lies in doubt after South Ayrshire Council confirmed that all options remained on the table as it explores the best way forward to create a new railway station for the town.

The B-listed French-Renaissance-style Station Hotel remains encircled by scaffolding after structural engineers declared the building to be unsafe, forcing ScotRail staff to decamp to hastily erected portacabins as a makeshift solution.

A detailed report on the integrity of the building will be shared with a task force assembled to resolve the issue at the end of the month, with its findings likely to prove crucial in determining what the council does next.

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: "There is clearly an urgent need to build adequate station facilities at Ayr station, one of ScotRail's busiest.

"Ideally, this should be linked to plans for the Station Hotel, Burns Statue Square and soon to be demolished Burns council office building. We stand ready to provide further support and guidance as this plan progresses."

As an initial measure Abellio ScotRail has appointed IDP Architects to improve access to a temporary ticket office by carving out a 1.8m wide pedestrian route through a stone boundary wall.

13 Comments

#1 Posted by Clarinda on 24 Jul 2019 at 12:10 PM

I am waiting for it to be announced as a result of these investigations that it does not make financial sense to save this building and to ensure a better train station it must be knocked down.

It has been very clear this building has been allowed to fall into significant disrepair by the 'absent owner' but I believe its possible to give Ayr a modern train station and save this building.

#2 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 24 Jul 2019 at 12:19 PM

Learn from mistakes of the past.

In the 1960's Glasgow demolished the beautiful St Enoch station. The loss to the city is immeasurable. A gem, a building that could sit proudly in any grand European city lost.

I hope the Government, ScotRail and the South Ayrshire Council think long and hard about the repercussions of their decision.

#3 Posted by MoBo on 24 Jul 2019 at 13:00 PM

two words
Circular Economy

#4 Posted by Robert Leslie on 24 Jul 2019 at 13:33 PM

What else can you expect from the SNP so called government!

#5 Posted by Graeme McCormick on 24 Jul 2019 at 14:16 PM

Robert, can u tell us who is in political control on South Ayrshire?

#6 Posted by Clarinda on 24 Jul 2019 at 14:46 PM

I am waiting for it to be announced as a result of these investigations that it does not make financial sense to save this building and to ensure a better train station it must be knocked down.

It has been very clear this building has been allowed to fall into significant disrepair by the 'absent owner' but I believe its possible to give Ayr a modern train station and save this building.

#7 Posted by Ollieman on 24 Jul 2019 at 15:51 PM

The loss of St Enoch station in 1977 was indeed a great loss for Glasgow but the town of Ayr has so many traditional stone buildings like this in a poor state of repair, may of them vacant. If the decline continues, parts of the town may be facing demolition on a scale comparable to Kilmarnock town centre in the late 1960's and 1970's. That of course was regrettable but as private building owners are not maintaining their buildings or attracting tenants, it seems that a solution will require significant 'out of the box' thinking. In the meantime I would be astonished if this building is saved, it will almost certainly be demolished in part or full.

#8 Posted by Ross on 24 Jul 2019 at 22:07 PM

All people do on this site is whinge and moan, whine and complain! So what can urbanrealm do to be a voice and actually do something productive?

#9 Posted by John Glenday on 24 Jul 2019 at 23:14 PM

Hi Ross. There is certainly plenty of pessimism and this is sadly born out of historic and ongoing losses of listed buildings. We can’t change the past but we can certainly influence the future and by giving voice to this issue we can demonstrate the depth of feeling that exists before it’s too late. It would be far worse for any decisions to be taken in a vacuum.

#10 Posted by Neil C on 25 Jul 2019 at 17:52 PM

This has the making of Ayr's Egyptian Halls, where a perfectly serviceable building is left to rot due to institutional incompetence until it's beyond redemption.

It'd be a tragedy if Ayr Station was demolished, but tragedies seem to happen every week involving iconic Scottish buildings.

#11 Posted by Walt Disney on 26 Jul 2019 at 09:38 AM

Good to see that Dangerous Buildings Notices and Compulsory Restoration Orders aren't just pieces of paper that are completely unenforceable.....

#12 Posted by Alistair Scott on 21 Aug 2020 at 15:59 PM

I have first hand knowledge of this building as we (Smith Scott Mullan Assoc.) actually did a feasibility study for the (now disappeared) owner in 2013. It is highly complex problem but it is an absolutely vital part of Ayr's townscape and it would be a tragedy to loose it. There is a community group trying to save it and we should all be supporting them in making it a major national embarrassment if it is demolished!

#13 Posted by Tickets Please on 23 Aug 2020 at 06:59 AM

Whilst a unique style of architecture - we can only delay a decision but is there really a solid use that can be taken forward in the next 5 years by a private developer? If not then it is already too late as the problems of the past cannot be undone.

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