The Ayr Station Hotel Community Action Group held a public meeting in Ayr Town Hall at 07:30pm on Monday 25 November 2019.
Brian McGinley Deputy Leader of South Ayrshire Council welcomed the Chair and the panel. The Chair was Malcolm Warr OBE, an international expert on infrastructure and restoration. He read a statement from NetworkRail as to why they declined to attend.
Una Richards, CEO of the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust which has rescued over thirty large threatened historic buildings, mostly in the East of Scotland, told the meeting that the Station Hotel could be saved and could last another two hundred years or more. It could be the catalyst for the regeneration of Ayr.
The panel all agreed that everybody working together was the key to dealing with this issue, including government, council, community and business.
All had an opportunity to give an opinion on what should be done for the Ayr Station Hotel and for other sites in Ayr. A straw poll showed only one person present favoured demolition and he said that in an ideal world the Station Hotel would be saved. Protective action at the UK and at the Scottish legislative level was essential. The community should be a driving force for change.
A Question Time style Panel followed, made up of the Chair and speakers. Closing comments and thanks to the contributors were made and a collection for the hire of the Town Hall was received.
Esther.