Ayr town centre is facing continued pressure from empty premises and major retail closures, South Ayrshire councillors have been told. Council officers said the high street may need to adapt to changing shopping habits rather than return to how it looked a decade ago.
The issue was discussed as councillors scrutinised South Ayrshire Council’s Local Government Benchmarking Framework report, which compares the authority’s performance across a range of public services.
SNP councillor George Weir questioned figures covering town-centre vacancy rates and land available for employment. He also referred to a reported fall in available employment land in 2021/22 and asked whether there were reasons for the change.
Closures add to pressure on Ayr high street
Jamie Tait, the council’s service lead for Thriving Communities, said Ayr had experienced substantial difficulties linked to the closure of the Arran Mall and the Kyle Centre.
“We know the town centre has had significant challenges with the closure of the Arran Mall and the Kyle Centre. So they impact the stats.”
He said town-centre audits carried out in Ayr and Troon showed that vacancy rates were an ongoing issue. The council and its partners are continuing to work on the problem, while investment is being brought forward in towns across South Ayrshire.
For Ayr, the planned Burns Statue Square investment is one of the developments highlighted during the discussion. Officers also pointed to the Ayr town-centre framework, which was developed and approved in 2024.
“We’re now seeing investment within each of our towns. Ayr town centre will get the Burns Statue Square investment and we also have the Ayr town centre framework that was developed and approved in 2024.”
Mr Tait said work was continuing, but acknowledged that vacancy rates remained a challenge for council teams and their partners.
Planning work to consider future development
Councillors also asked whether the planning system, including the next Local Development Plan, could help tackle empty high streets and support employment land.
Councillor Ian Cochrane raised questions about available land, planning costs and what could be done through the next plan to address high vacancy rates.
Craig Isles, the council’s head of planning, said the current Local Development Plan 2 identifies land for industrial use. This includes land connected with the Ayrshire Growth Deal and Prestwick Airport, as well as sites elsewhere across the district for businesses seeking to establish in the area.
Work has started on the next plan, known as LDP3. The council is currently gathering evidence, including identifying the challenges that need to be addressed before the plan is prepared. Landowners will later be invited to put forward potential sites for future development.
Online shopping blamed for wider high-street change
Mr Isles said the problem facing Ayr was not unique to South Ayrshire. He linked the wider pressure on high streets to changes in retail and the significant growth of online shopping, with similar difficulties being seen across Scotland and internationally.
“That is obviously not just a South Ayrshire challenge, it’s a global challenge, and across Scotland you’ll see many other high streets suffering the same way, as a result of retail changes from the high street and the significant rise in shopping online.”
The council’s scrutiny discussion therefore pointed to a combination of immediate vacancy pressures, planned town-centre investment and longer-term planning work as South Ayrshire considers how its high streets should develop.
