Lochside Masterplan - South Ayrshire Council

10.0 SUMMARY
The ongoing technical issues with the four storey maisonettes in Ferguson Street and Sloan
Street has resulted in a thorough review of the benefits that a fresh look at the options for the
area in the North of Lochside would offer.
A decision to replace the maisonettes does suggest that the sites around Ferguson Street,
Sloan Street , Glenmuir Place and Lochside Road will offer the potential to provide a wide
range of new modern homes and recreational facilities for the residents of North Ayr. This
masterplan study sets out in detail what this potential could be in terms of the type size and
numbers of new homes and the extent of leisure facilities which are possible.
The outline design for the housing demonstrates that the target figures of 96 new social rent
homes and 34 private homes can be achieved with suitable provision for open space. A range of
house sizes are preferred for the social housing with the private housing aimed more at the
lower / starter home sector of the housing market. This will provide a mixed tenure development
which offers the most viable option for realistic development.
An additional option on the private sector is available with the site well suited to a demonstration
project of low energy homes with orientation and building configuration well suited to such an
approach. The viability of such and option would need further exploration with builder/
developers particularly in the short term economic climate.
Alongside the residential value of the site the open space alongside Glenmuir Place offers great
potential for new community sports and leisure spaces focussed on a home for Whiteltts
Victoria Junior Football Club. The Club are enthusiastic about finding a new home as an
alternative to Dam Park and consider that a club embedded in the community adjacent to their
original home offers great opportunities for sports development in Ayr possibly in conjunction
with the existing activity centre.
The land around the potential sports facilities can be enhanced to provide more informal
recreation spaces for all age groups in a robust low maintenance manner.
THE NEXT STEPS
In order to fully realise the site development a number of steps are recommended
COMMUNITY CONSULTATION ON THE POTENTIAL MASTERPLAN LAYOUT
CONFIRMATION OF POTENTIAL SOCIAL HOUSING FUNDING
DISCUSSION WITH LOCAL BUILDER/ DEVELOPERS TO TEST THE DESIRABILITY OF A
MIXED TENURE DEVELOPMENT
EXAMINATION OF POTENTIAL EXTERNAL FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY SPORTS AND
FOOTBALL FACILITIES
Alongside the confirmation of funding sources additional site investigations will help confirm key
contingency costs including
topographical and site utilities studies
soil and mineral investigations
trial excavations to locate and map significant underground services
core samples to ascertain the value of the existing football pitch base
These improvements and enhancements to the sports and leisure facilities would offer an
alternative benefit to offset the loss of the redundant greyhound track with its central football
pitch.
The masterplan as shown gives an outline of a viable attractive regeneration of this area of
North Ayr continuing the regeneration work of the Council across the region
Confirmation of these aspects of development costs and funding would ensure the financial and
design parameters meet the aspirations of South Ayrshire Council in achieving significant
regeneration.