Major disruption at Ayr Station due to dangerous old hotel (from August 2018)

[Roose]

How was the recent problem with the decrepit old hotel near Carlisle station resolved?

The former Central Plaza Hotel was without an owner - in 'escheat'. English law gives the Crown Estate the right to sell such a property but, as may be imagined, a multi-storey building with structural problems, decay and damage was not immediately appealing to prospective purchasers. In the meantime, the building became a danger to passers-by and the district council had a legal duty to make it safe. Over a period of several years, ratepayers had to stump up many thousands of pounds to support it with scaffolding and remove roof structures at danger of collapse which had to be done with an extended road closure in place.

Ultimately demolition became the only option and this took place over several weeks in early 2020 and the site was cleared at some inconvenience to neighbouring premises which had to be closed, as did the neighbouring Victoria Viaduct, a route into town from Denton Holme, Currock and Upperby. The site - two floors below road level and bounded on one side by part of West Walls which hasn't been seen for over a century - is substantial and of interest to at least one developer who is interested in a replacement hotel.

The hotel still exists in model form somewhere in France

 

[InOban]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrshire/public-consultation-held-future-ayrs-22540841

Public opinion is to be canvassed as the long running saga over Ayr's Station Hotel takes a new turn.

Bosses at South Ayrshire Council have today announced an independent feasibility study over the building's future is underway.

The hotel, which is privately owned, has been under a Dangerous Building Notice since March 2018.

Council officials say they are keen to find a "long-term solution" due to the building's "poor condition".

The study, which has been commissioned by the Strategic Governance Group, will identify "potential future options" for the building.

Viability, costs and heritage will all be taken into account, say council leaders.

A public consultation will form part of the study, in a bid to test the water among residents.

The consultation will run from August 24 to September 14 and can be accessed at www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/consultations

At least there seems to be some involvement by a representative of the owner.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Would give good odds on this being another PR exercise. "We know the issue is still there, but don't know what to do with it , so lets ask Joe Public, and have a consultation, it will pass a few months and people cant say we are not doing anything about it", but in the end it is almost guaranteed that there will still be no commitment to actually doing anything positive (Cynic mode off)

 

[agoldstraw]

So sad to see such an historic building come to this. Some years ago, I was discussing on Friends Reunited a birthday party myself and the other person were invited to when around five. I was impressed for years what a grand house they lived in. You guessed it...the party was actually held at the Station Hotel! Ah, the innocence of youth...

 

[d9009alycidon]

Had a snigger when I saw this https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrshire/ayr-wins-scots-contest-land-21623462, so instead of Kings X, Liverpool St. Fenchurch St and Marylebone Ayr will have the Station with the derelict hotel, the underused and run-down airport, the horrible central bus station and the equally shabby Newton-on-Ayr station

 

[David M]

...the underused and run-down airport...

Not really disagreeing but, to its credit, Prestwick Airport has just announced a £3 million profit for the last year.

 

[och aye]

Good luck to this group if they can save the building.

'Station Hotel can be saved like Dumfries House’ say group

A GROUP who halted the demolition of Ayr’s Seafield House want to help save the crumbling Station Hotel.

www.ayradvertiser.com

 

[Scotrail314209]

Good luck to this group if they can save the building.

'Station Hotel can be saved like Dumfries House’ say group

A GROUP who halted the demolition of Ayr’s Seafield House want to help save the crumbling Station Hotel.

www.ayradvertiser.com

Good luck indeed, particularly if it seems beyond the point of no return now.

If these people try to restore it, it might just cause even more disruption to the people of Ayr. The station rightfully deserves it's proper waiting area like before, not outdoor and portacabin crap.

 

[mcmad]

undoubtedly will cause more disruption even if they eventually succeed as they want 2 years to come up with the plans and cash.

 

[och aye]

Raising £1,000 to project saving the hotel seems like a bit of a waste!

Ayr tech hub back bid to save the Station Hotel with visual aid

AYR’S tech hub have got behind the campaign to save the Station Hotel with bold plans for a laser projection onto the building itself.

www.ayradvertiser.com

 

[d9009alycidon]

Raising £1,000 to project saving the hotel seems like a bit of a waste!

Ayr tech hub back bid to save the Station Hotel with visual aid

AYR’S tech hub have got behind the campaign to save the Station Hotel with bold plans for a laser projection onto the building itself.

www.ayradvertiser.com

Posters being put up at various locations in the town centre, futile if you ask me.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Posters being put up at various locations in the town centre, futile if you ask me.

Why can't the people accept that the hotel will just fall into more disrepair while they faff about with bidding and looking at ways to save it... just pull the thing down no matter how historic it is.

 

[al78]

Why can't the people accept that the hotel will just fall into more disrepair while they faff about with bidding and looking at ways to save it... just pull the thing down no matter how historic it is.

Maybe it will go the way of the Brighton west pier. Whilst the authorities faff over what to do and end up doing nothing, natural decay will ultimately bring the building down.

 

[BRX]

Maybe it will go the way of the Brighton west pier. Whilst the authorities faff over what to do and end up doing nothing, natural decay will ultimately bring the building down.

If it goes the way of Brighton pier, then someone with a financial interest in it disappearing will set it on fire.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Maybe it will go the way of the Brighton west pier. Whilst the authorities faff over what to do and end up doing nothing, natural decay will ultimately bring the building down.

Good heavens I hope not! That means Ayr station will probably be taken with it

 

[diamond chap]

There are press reports of a feasibility study into options for the station being published https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrshire/new-ayr-train-station-could-23518154. Hopefully the report will appear online somewhere soon.

A new Ayr train station boasting a business centre, retail, café and restaurants is among ideas put forward in a new consultation.

The independent paper, commissioned by Transport Scotland, studies a range of options for the crisis-hit Station Hotel.

And a number of radical options have been put forward for the privately-owned B-listed building, ranging from full restoration to demolition.

Bosses at South Ayrshire Council, who were included in the feasibility study, say a string of responses were "ruled out" due to their potential costs heading towards £25 million in some cases.

Turning the building into private apartments, social housing, office accommodation or retaining the majority of the building as a hotel are among the options suggested.

Recent interest from the private sector which could see the hotel refurbished into student accommodation will also be considered, say the council.

 

[jamesst]

If you have a look at the Urbandoned (urban explorers) channel on YouTube there's a good video where they explore the inside of this hotel. The further up the floors the less decayed.

 

[ainsworth74]

If you have a look at the Urbandoned (urban explorers) channel on YouTube there's a good video where they explore the inside of this hotel. The further up the floors the less decayed.

This one I believe:

 

[Scotrail12]

I'd seen the Urbandoned video (found it after watching their trips to the abandoned Glasgow schools) - the hotel is not in nearly as bad condition inside as expected with the exception of a few rooms (especially the flooded bar). I guess it just isn't structurally sound.

When I visited Ayr in late July, the station was totally redesigned to avoid anyone going anywhere near the hotel. Layout now quite odd.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

This one I believe:

Thats crazy, its like everyone just upped and left one day and never went back.

 

[Sprinter156]

Hopefully the report will appear online somewhere soon.

Available on South Ayrshire Council website

Building at Ayr train station

South Ayrshire statement on station hotel.

www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk

 

[d9009alycidon]

So what does that really tell us? Not a great deal in my opinion, no commitment to actually doing something so this will probably stagnate for another few years, I hear the latest casualty of the COVID enhanced collapse of the traditional town centre commercial model is the Kyle Centre in Ayr which has shut its doors permanently, not that there was very much left in it.

 

[Roast Veg]

So what does that really tell us? Not a great deal in my opinion, no commitment to actually doing something so this will probably stagnate for another few years, I hear the latest casualty of the COVID enhanced collapse of the traditional town centre commercial model is the Kyle Centre in Ayr which has shut its doors permanently, not that there was very much left in it.

I visited it in 2018 (and Ayr station, after the station building had been closed), and it was in a very very sorry state even then.

 

[Scotrail314209]

So what does that really tell us? Not a great deal in my opinion, no commitment to actually doing something so this will probably stagnate for another few years, I hear the latest casualty of the COVID enhanced collapse of the traditional town centre commercial model is the Kyle Centre in Ayr which has shut its doors permanently, not that there was very much left in it.

Again, this sounds like SAC trying to twiddle their thumbs a bit more and let Ayr fall into a more dire state. Will it take a serious accident involving that building for them to get their finger out?

 

[och aye]

Available on South Ayrshire Council website

Building at Ayr train station

South Ayrshire statement on station hotel.

www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk

"train" station! Eek!

Interesting to see the mention of conversion of the building into student flats. The Ayr campus of the UWS isn't too far away from the station.

 

[jamesst]

This one I believe:

That's the one, good channel!

 

[och aye]

The saga continues...

Ayr Station Hotel: Council reject offer from owner to transfer ownership​

Council reject offer to transfer ownership of Station Hotel

South Ayrshire Council yesterday blocked the sale of the Station Hotel.

www.ayradvertiser.com

South Ayrshire Council yesterday blocked the sale of the Station Hotel.

The building's current owner Mr Eng Huat Ung had requested he transfer ownership to another party.

The council rejected his offer to do so on the basis that the money offered was considerably less than the £1,111,171.34 that has been spent by the council in making the building safe.

The council wants to be recompensed for the amount spent on scaffolding and repairs carried out on the building since 2018 before agreeing to any sale.

They also raised concerns that the offer does not address the monthly ongoing scaffolding costs of £59,500 required to maintain the integrity of the building and therefore, the safety of the public until the building is redeveloped.

It is understood that Mr Eng Huat Ung's offer was nowhere near meeting those costs.

A council spokesperson said: "The representative for the prospective buyer has advised they would not expect any past or future liabilities to pass to them, and this would include any costs associated with scaffolding or any safeguarding.

"Instead they have indicated that they require the property ostensibly debt free and “building ready to renovate”.

"The council is currently meeting its statutory duties to keep the public safe and does not have any requirement for the land or building for a development. Neither does the council have any associated funding that would be associated with such development that would entitle it to make a case for the Compulsory Purchase of the building.

"The community groups that have expressed an interest to develop the building can exercise the community statutory right to buy by applying for an order to do so from the Scottish Ministers if they are unable to reach agreement with the owner. Before doing so they would need to be able to evidence the funding for this purchase. The council has no right of ownership and is therefore unable to assist this process.

"The engineers have estimated the current costs to resolve the structural issues with the building to be approximately 10 million pounds."

 

[tspaul26]

Meanwhile, the building continues to rot.

 

[Scotrail314209]

The saga continues...

Ayr Station Hotel: Council reject offer from owner to transfer ownership​

Council reject offer to transfer ownership of Station Hotel

South Ayrshire Council yesterday blocked the sale of the Station Hotel.

www.ayradvertiser.com

South Ayrshire Council in a nutshell. Complain about a building then when they get an offer to buy it they decline.

 

[Starmill]

South Ayrshire Council in a nutshell. Complain about a building then when they get an offer to buy it they decline.

As a local authority they do have a duty to manage public money well. If they were being offered £100 after spending more than £1.1 million in their duty to keep the public safe, accepting could cause a significant shortfall that would end up ultimately having to be met by the government.