Following the publication of the final report into the condition of Ayr’s station hotel, local MSP Brian Whittle is calling for the Scottish Government and South Ayrshire Council to set out a clear plan for the future of the structure.
With the report saying the bill to bring the building up to a safe standard could be £10 million, the South Scotland MSP wants assurances that communities living South of Ayr won’t again be faced with being cut off if the crumbling building’s condition worsens this winter.
The long delayed full report, including repair costs, was published last week as questions about the building’s future, and the mounting costs to the taxpayer, remain unanswered.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“I’m glad the full report into the Station Hotel has finally been published and shows the full scale of the challenges facing the building. After waiting so long for the report, it’s more important than ever that progress accelerates now.
The scaffolding and plastic wrap may have bought the building some time but it’s only a stop-gap, and an expensive one at that. This whole saga has already cost the taxpayer well over £1 million and with the future of the building still in doubt, that number is only going to get larger.
Communities along the railway line, particularly those south of Ayr, need to have some certainty about what’s going to happen. A repeat of the severe disruption, which closed the line this time last year, cannot be allowed to happen.
If a new owner can be found for the building, then I’m all for that, but only if they can prove that they have the funds to make the necessary repairs, and quickly. If that isn’t the case, then all other options have to be considered.
The future of the Station Hotel has been, quite literally, hanging over the heads of rail travellers for long enough.”
