Kilmarnock Connecting Places – Regeneration moves forward

Tue, 15 Jun 2010

The Regeneration of Kilmarnock’s Town Centre is moving rapidly on, with the start of the “Kilmarnock – Connecting Places Project” getting underway in Nelson Street. And during the works, aimed at improving the quality of the street surfaces, it will be “business as usual” for all the surrounding retailers and offices.

The £1.4million project aims to improve the environment of key locations in the town, improving street surfaces and lighting and making walking between areas in the town centre a more inviting and pleasant experience.

East Ayrshire Council are implementing the work, with funding from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Regeneration Fund and support from Scottish Enterprise and the Heritage Lottery Fund.  The first phase, in Nelson Street, has already started with a temporary road closure although pedestrian access is still available and all the businesses there are operating as normal.

Once this section is complete, contractors, Luddon Construction Ltd will move on to Strand Street, then finally West George Street and the area to the front of Kilmarnock Railway Station.  With a phased plan, intended to minimise disruption to the public and businesses, the works are scheduled to be complete by mid November this year. 

East Ayrshire Council Leader Douglas Reid said: “Town centres everywhere are competing to attract people into their towns. The quality of the shopping environment is one of the most important factors. This project  demonstrates that a real physical transformation of Kilmarnock town centre is under way and the more attractive the town centre is physically, the more attractive it becomes for shops and for shoppers, making shopping a more pleasant experience for everyone.”

Spokesperson for the Environment and Regeneration Jim Buchanan added:”Whilst this is a major construction project in the Town Centre, the Council and Luddon Construction are working together to make the process as smooth as possible. The project has employed a Contract Co-ordinator whose role is to help retailers receive deliveries and operate as normally as possible, ensuring that shoppers and visitors can continue to enjoy the town’s amenities as usual. Disruption will be kept to a minimum and it will be really exciting to see the results as we move forward with Kilmarnock’s regeneration.”

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