Kilmarnock Masterplan consultation opens 31 August: what residents need to know

Kilmarnock residents, businesses and visitors will soon have a chance to influence proposals for the future of the town centre. The Kilmarnock Masterplan Public Engagement Sessions form part of a consultation running from Monday 31 August until Sunday 11 October.

The sessions are free and will take place at various venues across Kilmarnock. East Ayrshire Council has not yet provided individual venue addresses, session times or booking arrangements, so anyone planning to attend in person should check the council’s updates before travelling.

Dates, venues and who can take part

• Consultation period: Monday 31 August to Sunday 11 October
• In-person venues: Various locations across Kilmarnock
• Cost: Free
• Organiser: East Ayrshire Council
• Who can participate: People who live in, work in or visit Kilmarnock, including residents and businesses

The consultation will also be available online from 31 August. The face-to-face sessions are intended to give people an opportunity to ask questions and contribute their views in person, while the online consultation offers another way to respond during the six-week period.

The engagement follows the launch of “The Vision for Kilmarnock Town Centre – A New Chapter”, agreed by elected members at East Ayrshire Council’s Full Council meeting on Thursday 27 August. It is the first stage in creating a new Masterplan for the town centre.

Six themes put town-centre life in focus

The vision is organised around six themes: sense of place, climate, connectivity, vacant buildings and business development, heritage and leisure, and town-centre living. Retail and the public realm are also considered within those themes.

Together, they cover questions ranging from how vacant property could be used to how people move through the centre and what role housing, heritage and leisure could play. The document sets out priorities for both short-term and long-term projects, giving participants several distinct areas on which to comment.

East Ayrshire Council describes masterplanning as a process that brings residents, businesses, organisations and investors together to examine what already exists, what could change and what is achievable. Feedback gathered during the consultation is therefore intended to inform the continuing development of the plan rather than simply present residents with a completed programme.

A 1960s plan still shapes Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock’s previous Masterplan was designed by Percy Johnson-Marshall during the period of major town-centre redevelopment in the 1960s. Although that vision was not fully realised, the council says it continues to shape the town seen today.

The new exercise reflects changes in how people work and use town centres. Its stated aim is to support the local economy, improve the built and natural environment, and contribute to the wellbeing of those using the area.

The council says it has earmarked approximately £100 million over the life of the proposed Masterplan. Council leader Douglas Reid has also acknowledged that the authority cannot deliver the programme alone and will need private and other investment.

How to submit views or attend a session

Residents can respond online between 31 August and 11 October or participate at one of the public engagement sessions across Kilmarnock. The council’s original notice also directs readers to the vision document, the Full Council report and an option to receive Masterplan updates.

No start times, detailed addresses, accessibility information or booking process have yet been supplied for the in-person sessions. Those details are expected through East Ayrshire Council’s event updates. The confirmed deadline for submitting consultation feedback is Sunday 11 October, and the council says every contribution will be read and considered as work on the Masterplan continues.

Source: East Ayrshire Council News