Integrated Urban Development Plan (pdf) - Make It Kilmarnock

1.1 A shift in planning policy to broaden central area uses
– to include:
• specialist retail and local services
• cafes, pubs, restaurants
• professional + administrative suites
• health + community, therapies + beauty
• creative, cultural, engineering, brewing
• Kilmarnock College activities + spin-offs
• affordable premises for start-ups + downsizing private +
social enterprises
• drama, music, entertainment, comedy, nightclubs
• pioneer some low cost, destinational activity
A vibrant mix of uses will not only add to the variety,
vitality and a utility beyond core working hours, but will
also broaden the scope for occupiers to express interest
in properties, whether currently vacant or as potential
developments
1.2 A series of one-way system interventions – John
mixed use property on John Finnie Street
Finnie St, Palace Theatre and the gateway to town centre
north of the viaduct - to change the culture of the town as a
user-friendly destination.
A phased approach starting with tackling the one-way
restriction on John Finnie Street would help prepare the
ground for wider changes in the longer term. The re-design
of John Finnie Street could be based on a series of simple
measures that could then be applied elsewhere. These would
include:
• Re-instating the two-way traffic flows, taking precedent
from recent award-winning market town enhancements
such as Ashford in Kent. Like Ashford, the key measure
would involve untangling the one-way system, and
returning the key circulating streets to two-way, lowspeed
flow. This would allow for street enhancements to
focus on this key retail street first.
• Creating a legible, simplified streetscape, unifying the
character of the public realm, and giving a stronger
focus and sense of place.
• Creating a low-speed traffic environment, enabling a
sequence of major and minor place-making schemes
to provide clear and legible links to Kilmarnock’s retail
centre.
These would also enable the creation of:
• Station Square involving the creation of a coherent
space to provide a welcoming and lively entry point to
the town. The new square would help establish the link
between the Station, John Finnie Street and the Town
Centre.
• Sheriff Court Corner at the intersection of John Finnie
Street with St Marnock Street marks an important
change of scale on the southern entry to Kilmarnock.
The introduction of the two-way system will require
the removal of redundant traffic signals, markings and
traffic islands, allowing a simple place to be created.
26 | MAKE IT KILMARNOCK BOARD | EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL