A £16 million redevelopment of Burns Statue Square in Ayr has been approved, with construction due to begin in January 2027 and finish by March 31, 2028.
South Ayrshire Council agreed the plans at its meeting on September 10. The project will replace the current traffic island with a public space between Ayr railway station and the town centre, creating a redesigned gateway for people arriving in the centre.
What will change at Burns Statue Square?
The proposals include new paving, seating, landscaping and sculptures linked to the poetry of Robert Burns. Roads around the square will also be altered as part of the scheme, which is being delivered by Ayrshire Roads Alliance.
The existing car park in front of the Astoria Cinema, Fosters Funeral Directors and Wallace and Hodge Solicitors will be removed to make way for the revised road layout. A replacement car park is proposed on the former Burns House site to the east of the cinema, although that element still requires further statutory procedures and Network Rail consent.
If the replacement car park proceeds, the overall changes will provide two additional disabled spaces but four fewer standard spaces. Burns Statue Square car park will have 18 standard spaces, two disabled spaces, two electric vehicle spaces and one motorcycle space. Parkhouse Street will have two disabled spaces and nine standard spaces.
Beresford Terrace will remain one-way northbound from Parkhouse Street. A bus gate will allow buses to travel southbound from Burns Statue Square to Parkhouse Street. Traffic modelling found that the local road network would continue to operate satisfactorily under the proposal.
Businesses raised concerns about disruption
The council said the design was shaped by public and stakeholder engagement carried out during May and June. This involved drop-in events, online and paper surveys, meetings, visits to businesses, a project website and information at Carnegie Library.
Feedback called for more greenery and additional disabled parking. People also raised concerns about construction disruption and the effect of the work on town-centre businesses. The design was subsequently changed to include more planting and two extra disabled parking spaces.
Councillor George Weir warned that businesses could lose up to 10 per cent of their income during the works. Ayrshire Roads Alliance officers said all businesses had been contacted during the consultation.
Councillor Hugh Hunter said: “I'm very concerned. I don't believe the implications of it for the town have been fully thought out.” Councillor Alec Clark described the scheme as having the potential to be “a major rejuvenation of Ayr town centre which has been a long time coming”.
Engagement also included requests for a mural outside the Astoria Cinema and features linked to Ayr United, including a plaque and a bust of Ally MacLeod. However, the council said concerns about the Station Hotel, the railway station and wider town-centre regeneration were outside the project’s scope.
Next steps before construction
A construction management strategy will be prepared to support communication and reduce disruption where possible. Officers will now progress technical approvals, statutory processes, procurement and preparation for construction.
The project will be funded through the Local Regeneration Fund, formerly called the Levelling Up Fund. A further £5.9 million is still needed for separate low-carbon active travel projects.
