EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL CABINET – 23 NOVEMBER 2011 ...docs.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/CRPADMMIN/2007 AGENDAS...development plan process. Once the MIR consultation responses have been fully

EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL

CABINET – 23 NOVEMBER 2011

KILMARNOCK INTEGRATED URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLAN (IUDP)

Report by Depute Chief Executive/Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services 1. PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 The purpose of the report is to:

- Provide an update to Cabinet on the development of an Integrated Urban Development

Plan (IUDP) for Kilmarnock; - Outline the comments received as part of the formal public consultation on the draft

IUDP, proposed responses to these comments; and; - Seek Cabinet’s approval of the IUDP based on the comments received.

2. BACKGROUND 2.1 Elected Members considered the draft IUDP at a Members Seminar on Tuesday 7th June

2010, prior to the commencement of a formal public consultation on the draft Plan. As part of the public consultation exercise, the draft Plan was made available on-line and at Council offices, and publicised within the local press. A summary of the submissions received are listed at the end of this report. The detailed individual submissions together with those received from statutory bodies as part of the formal Strategic Environmental Assessment exercise, with formal responses, are contained in a separate report available on the Members Portal.

2.2 In general, the responses were very supportive of the focus and direction of the draft Plan.

There were no fundamental objections to any of the key development proposals within the Plan, with a number of specific comments and suggestions in relation to the following areas:

• Possible safety concerns in relation to changes to the road system and introduction of

car / pedestrian shared surfaces. This was expressed both by disability groups and Stagecoach

• Support for more public spaces in the town centre (linked to the parks and river), and where feasible for more covered public space

• Support for wider promotion of the town centre as a visitor location, building on the town’s heritage. While this links to the MiK ‘Visitor Attraction’ theme, there was support for more obvious Burns and Johnnie Walker visibility in terms of signage and promotion

3. WAY FORWARD 3.1 The draft IUDP has proved a valuable piece of work in supporting initial project funding

bids over recent months, and guiding the development of new project ideas. This includes

the Kilmarnock College campus project in Hill Street, and the bid for Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) for key projects within the town centre. While the bid for TIF was initially unsuccessful, it is hoped to resubmit a further bid for funding at a later date, as well as complementary bids for other Scottish Government and EU funds. The IUDP will be an important part of the submission for future bids.

3.2 There is a recognition that the Plan will require to remain flexible over the coming years to

meet changing demands and access to funding, but fundamentally the key projects and priorities will remain unchanged. The draft IUDP contained a list of short medium and long term actions, across the three Categories of projects (‘Big Interventions’, ‘Safeguarding the Assets’ and ‘Joining it Together’) within the Plan. The finalised draft Plan accompanies this report. Following the finalisation and adoption of the Plan, listed below are the short term actions which it is proposed will be the focus of priority over the next twelve months,

Big Interventions

1. Detailed master planning complete for the Hill Street site, and actively seeking future

developers 2. Detailed proposals for the Top of the Town site finalised 3. Initial designs for phased implementation of one-way road system finalised

Safeguarding the Assets

4. Plans for improving linkages from retail core and ‘blue-green’ network finalised and

approved, linked to progress on attracting business use on Sandbed Street 5. Development of Retail Unit project 6. Extended ‘Events Calendar’, linked to Visit Kilmarnock promotional material

Joining it Together

7. Resistance of competing out-of-town retail development 8. Promotion of wider range of permissible uses in town centre 9. Adoption of wider branding & promotion strategy for Kilmarnock

3.3 The Council is currently producing the East Ayrshire Local Development Plan which, once

adopted in 2015, will replace the East Ayrshire Local Plan 2010. The first stage of the local development plan preparation process is the Main Issues Report (MIR) which will highlight key areas of change and set out and consult on a number of development options, including the Council’s preferred option, for taking each ‘main issue’ forward through the development plan process. Once the MIR consultation responses have been fully considered, a ‘proposed plan’ will be prepared which will form the Council’s settled view on all planning policy matters.

3.4 One of the matters to be considered in the MIR will be how the IUDP is incorporated into

the Local Development Plan. Options available to the Council include incorporating the key land use planning elements of the IUDP into the local development plan document itself as well as adopting the more detailed IUDP as Supplementary Guidance for use as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications. This will be considered at a future Cabinet meeting.

4. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 4.1 The finalisation and adoption of the Plan has no financial implications 5. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 5.1 The finalisation and adoption of the Plan has no legal implications 6. HUMAN RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS 6.1 There are no human resource implications at this stage. 7. POLICY IMPLICATIONS 7.1 Potential policy implications are considered in paras 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 above and the

proposal is a projected output in the Delivering Regeneration Action plan in the Community Plan.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS 8.1 Cabinet is asked to:

(i) Note the comments received as part of the formal consultation on the draft Integrated Urban Development Plan

(ii) Agree to the approval of the Integrated Urban Development Plan based on the comments received.

(iii) Otherwise note the content of this report Elizabeth Morton Depute Chief Executive/Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services 7 November 2011 EM / AN

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS

1. Detailed list of individual submissions and those of the statutory bodies together with formal responses (Members Portal)

For further information please contact Lawrence Wyper, Make it Kilmarnock Project Co-ordinator on (50) 3239.

Implementation Officer – Alan Neish, Head of Planning and Economic Development

Appendix : Summary of Responses received to draft IUDP

Scottish Government – Regeneration Department

• The wide consultation that has already taken place is positive and should ensure that the plan takes in a wide range of views.

• The Council may want to consider how aspects of the plan could be delivered through a community empowerment agenda.

• We believe it is critical that the IUDP sits alongside an economic strategy • It is important for the economic strategy to focus on jobs and investment beyond the immediate

town centre. • The Council will want to identify the key opportunities for attracting investment and stimulating job

creation and to develop a strategy to pursue these opportunities with clear and realistic proposals. • The Council could be more positive in its approach to attracting key sector and high growth

companies. • The Council may wish to consider Kilmarnock’s connection to the wider functional economic area,

particular the opportunities that may be available through closer connection to Glasgow. • The Council may wish to consider taking forward a cost benefit analysis of projects within the draft

IUDP to determine that the proposed changes will offer value for money. • We understand that the Council has previously considered having a Business Improvement District

(BID). It may now be appropriate to look at this again • The Council may wish to consider the timing of the proposed changes within the draft Plan. • The plan highlights the need for a unique selling point – what might this be. What lessons could be

learnt from other areas that have attempted to look at this. • It may be possible to achieve significant improvements in the flow and connection of the town

centre without necessarily committing significant funding to changes to the one-way road system. . • The development of a robust tourism strategy for the town will be important in any economic

strategy. The Council may wish to consider this in the context of a pan-Ayrshire approach. • It is important that the Council gains clarity regarding mitigation of the Hill Street Site and Diageo’s

intentions. • The IUDP acknowledges the potential importance of the College’s relocation plans to the wider

development of Diageo’s Hill Street site. Whilst the College could provide a good anchor, consideration needs to be given to how the rest of the site will fit together, what opportunities there might be, and how the College could act as a catalyst to generate growth and opportunities

• It may be helpful to provide further consideration and more emphasis as to the links between the Diageo site and the town centre.

East Ayrshire Access Panel North District

• There were many positives in the Plan, e.g. in terms of the vision and the benefits to the town. The Panel felt there were some very positive attributes over all.

• It is noted that the Plan will contribute to the forthcoming Local Development Plan. What recourse will the panel have if there are certain areas they are not happy with e.g. shared surfaces.

• It is noted that there are plans to introduce more residential use around the town centre. Will this new housing be accessible in terms of catering for a disabled person and will car parking be provided.

• Throughout the plan there is talk of linking up the blue and green networks which the panel are pleased about. Will there be plans to link in with national cycle routes to encourage cyclists to stop off in the town and also visit our river and parks.

• The Plan refers to connecting places in and around the town centre and there is mention of high quality, regular, cheap / free shuttle buses – any buses should be fully accessible so that disabled people / families with buggies are not left out.

• The panel are delighted to note that the river is classed as one of Kilmarnock’s undiscovered gems. The panel agree strongly that the river should be ‘exploited’.

• Reference is made to the Blue Green network and the hope that the core path network could be enlarged; any path surfaces should enable wheels to easily manoeuvre on the surface.

• The provision of accessible car parking spaces within the town is currently welcomed and any increase would benefit many people as changes linked to the Disabled Persons Parking Bill may result in existing opportunities being withdrawn; for example the ability to park on double yellow lines for blue badge holders.

• A number of specific comments made related to the potential use of shared surfaces in the plan, which are seen as detrimental to the blind/visually impaired/wheelchair user and even to the car driver

• Could consideration be given to investigating the provision of electric charging stations for wheelchairs.

• Cycle routes should be included in the plan • All routes should be accessible with accessible signage and orientation markers • In relation to the College proposal, could consideration be given to providing access from platform

4 directly onto the Diageo site and perhaps the provision of another car park for the station • The Disabled Persons Parking Bill calls for fully dimensioned and lined accessible car parking

bays. Will the plan allow for these bays within the town centre • Will there be provision for occasional seating in the plan.

Gerry McCready

• Kilmarnock needs to have a wider and more economic activity in the town centre which will stimulate business and attract additional investment and create jobs.

• Diageo’s links should be developed to have a commitment to work with Kilmarnock until at least 2020 in developing visitor numbers to Kilmarnock through the Legacy of “Johnnie Walker”. This concentration on the 200th anniversary establishes a focus.

• Green Street should be pedestrianised. • Railtrack should be encouraged to allow the Railway Station to be used as a budget hotel as a way

of increasing the use of the area in a more 24/7 way. An initiative could also be developed to build on Kilmarnock’s involvement with the early days of railways in Scotland and the use of steam.

• The link with Robert Burns in the town is completely understated. Possibly the previous Royal Bank of Scotland at the Cross could be established as a literary base. Another idea would be to re-locate the Wilson Printing Press there from the Dick Institute and have it as a commercial facility to print a page with tourist details commemorating this visit to Kilmarnock as a single token or a as a cover page for a copy of one of Burn’s poems.

• Modern methods of selling the town have to be used and the www.makeitkilmarnock.com or a comparable website has to get the message out. Facebook; Twitter and Linkedin should be incorporated into Kilmarnock promoting websites.

• Use Webcams to let people see Kilmarnock.. Bobby McCrone (Wheatsheaf Inn)

• I think that it is brilliant that Kilmarnock is finally seeing some re-development and hope that this is the start of Kilmarnock becoming the town it used to be.

Stagecoach

• We have looked at your proposals to remove the one way system and introduce shared space. We have particular concerns as to how this would work in a safe manner due to the volume of traffic in the current road system and then introducing free flowing pedestrian movements in to the same area.

• The plan promotes removing the one way system and if this is achieved in a safe manner which allows the traffic to flow smoothly at all times then this would be supported by Stagecoach.

Frank Beattie

• Kilmarnock Water: The river should be a feature, but all the way through the parks and town not just at the Sandbed. The town centre initiative, parks department, countryside rangers et al, should work together to promote a walkway from one end of the river to the other.

• Sandbed: Most property at the Sandbed is the rear of buildings and unlikely to be used for anything other than access by the occupants. However, imaginative art work on property walls could give the impression of an old fashioned street.

• Open spaces :There are many open spaces around the town centre. Some need attention. New open spaces should have a visual focus, perhaps based on the town’s heritage.

• Palace Theatre - The report suggests that the mistakes of earlier years could be corrected by lowering the level of the road and removing the underpass to the Burns Shopping Centre. This would certainly be an improvement.

• Station Square - We could celebrate Kilmarnock’s railway heritage, which includes the first railway in Scotland, the world’s oldest railway viaduct, first use of a steam locomotive in Scotland and one of the world’s earliest time-tabled railway passenger services, and that’s before you consider Kilmarnock rich heritage in locomotive design and building.

• Foregate: It was not quite a proposal, but there was a brief mention in the report that part of the town centre might be closed over. This might work in the Foregate.

• College: Take opportunity to rename the college. Name it after one of the town’s most inventive engineers, Andrew Barclay

• Traffic : The whole traffic system has to be looked at including parking. Declare an extended town centre zone as a pedestrian priority area, giving John Finnie Street the same status as King Street has now. Priority should be given to organising alternative routes for through traffic.

• Town centre : The 1970s buildings have as much architectural merit as a shoe box. The worst feature is the bit that sticks out into King Street. It blocks the view of the magnificent 1930s rotunda at the Cross and is completely bland. Ideally it should be removed, but that is not likely to happen, so perhaps some imaginative artwork could be placed on it.

• One common complaint is a lack of public toilets. In some towns, an arrangement has been made between local authorities and owners of pubs and cafes to make their toilets available to the public.

Jim McNaughton (St Andrews and St Marnock’s Church)

• Concern about the traffic arrangements outside the church. Since the last reorganisation took no account of the church’s needs, we now have a situation where there is only one traffic lane in St Marnock St. for going to Irvine Road and Dundonald Road. This means that whenever there is a church wedding or funeral then the traffic backs up round the town. I hope this can be remedied in this new vision for our town.

• We have been established long before the Court and Police Station and Procurator Fiscals. Yet we are described in your document as being in the “Legal Quarter”. While I don’t object to being known as the Legal Quarter, I would object if this signified that once again the church was ignored and disadvantaged in any future plan.

K I L M A R N O C KI N T E G R A T E D U R B A N D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1

f i n a l r e p o r t

K I L M A R N O C KI N T E G R A T E D U R B A N D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N

KevinMurrayAssociates

K i l m a r n o c k T o w n C e n t r e I n t e g r a t e d U r b a n D e v e l o p m e n t P l a n - f i n a l r e p o r t

november 2011

Kevin Murray Associates Willie Miller Urban Design

Nick Wright Planning

Hamilton-Baillie Associates

Slims Consulting

The Burrell Company

Make it Kilmarnock

Planning and Economic Development

East Ayrshire Council

The Johnnie Walker Bond

15 Strand Street

Kilmarnock

KA1 1HU

executive summary ?

1 introduction and process 1

2 issues, challenges and assets 5

3 vision and strategy 19

4 proposals 25

5 benefits 47

6 next steps 49

appendix 1 - list of consultees 53

appendix 2 - consultation elements 55

contents

place momentum study team:

Jas Atwal

Ben Hamilton-Baillie

Andrew Burrell

Chris Brody

Willie Miller

Kevin Murray

Ines Triebel

Nick Wright

K i l m a r n o c k T o w n C e n t r e I n t e g r a t e d U r b a n D e v e l o p m e n t P l a n - f i n a l r e p o r t

This Integrated Urban Development Plan has been prepared in

collaboration with agencies, politicians, businesses and citizens

of Kilmarnock as acting as consultees, advisors, critics and

energisers. Particular thanks are due to Lawrence Wyper and

Mark Greaves.

A full list of participants and consultees is provided at Appendix 1.

K I L M A R N O C K - I N T E G R A T E D U R B A N D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 | K E V I N M U R R A Y A S S O C I A T E S | 1

1 - i n t ro d u c t i o n a n d p ro c e s s

Kilmarnock is at a crossroads - a pivotal period of change

that so many former industrial towns and cities have

experienced in recent times. It is important that the correct

steps are taken to guide its future direction as an attractive

and liveable town.

Kilmarnock has suffered its fair share of setbacks. The

forthcoming closure of the Johnnie Walker bottling plant

in 2012 is the latest in a series of high-profile closures over

the last 40 years, including Stoddart Carpets, Saxone and

Massey-Ferguson. It is undoubtedly an economic blow for

the town.

However, with many assets to its name, Kilmarnock is also a

justifiably proud town. The grand vista of John Finnie Street

and the character of Bank Street; a string of fine parkland

through Howard Park, Kay Park and Dean Park; and the

cultural assets of the Dick and the Palace Theatre, to name

but a few. Wedded to these physical assets is another less

tangible, but no less important, asset: the pride, spirit and

energy of the people of Kilmarnock.

Kilmarnock’s location and role within the wider strategic

context is also important. Historically, the town was part

of the manufacturing engine room that was the West of

Scotland, producing a range of goods that were shipped

around the Empire. Whilst engineering is still present in the

town – Mahle and Barclays are two prominent examples – the

strategic role of Kilmarnock is shifting. The M77 means that

Kilmarnock is now more a part of metropolitan Glasgow

than ever before, with a new economic relationship with the

city based in part around its growing role as an affordable

commuter town.

This is an opportune time to think about the future, and plan

not only how the extensive Diageo site may best contribute

to the town’s resurgence, but also how the wider town

should prepare itself for the future.

King Street

2 | M A K E I T K I L M A R N O C K B O A R D | E A S T A Y R S H I R E C O U N C I L

Any vision and proposals for change must be couched in

terms of realism, as this study takes place at a time of

deep economic uncertainty. The country has been in the

grip of a severe economic downturn since 2008. Property

development remains sluggish and public spending is being

reduced, a trend which is almost certain to continue in the

short to medium term. In summary, the immediate context

is characterised by uncertainty and difficulty in securing

investment.

The vision and proposals put forward in this report

must respond realistically and sensitively to the limited

possibilities of the moment, yet also set positive aspirations

as longer term goals of investment and change.

It is important to emphasise that this plan is an integrated

urban development plan, that connects across a number of

sectors, seeking a transformative impact from lots of smaller

scale actions.

aims of the plan

The Integrated Urban Development Plan (IUDP) for

Kilmarnock was commissioned by the Make it Kilmarnock

Board and in the autumn of 2010, and funded by East Ayrshire

Council and Diageo. Its focus was on the central area of

the town, in and around the town centre, and including

the Diageo site. The aim is to address the immediate and

forthcoming needs of the town, both for residents, but also

for business and visitors, by generating a forward-looking,

yet deliverable vision. It replaces the Kilmarnock Town Centre

Strategy produced in 2005.

The Plan is the result of intensive discussion and analysis

in late 2010 and early 2011 about the future of the town.

The objective of the vision is to chart a viable future for the

town and its centre, creating a revitalised heart and soul

by using Kilmarnock’s rich heritage as a springboard for

detail of the Clydesdale bank building on East George Street

future development, whilst also addressing employment,

retail, education, cultural, living and visitor perspectives.

Community engagement has been an important part of

preparing the IUDP.

The brief required that the IUDP

• should identify key development opportunity sites, and

• put forward development and place-making principles

to guide planning policy and design frameworks for the

town centre.

• promote high quality “place-making”, recognising the

unique qualities of Kilmarnock and enhancing the

town’s built environment and public spaces by setting

out principles to create a more lively, attractive, healthy

and sustainable town.



The emphasis of the study is, therefore, on future physical

and spatial change. However, during the course of the study,

particularly through engaging with local residents and

businesses, it became clear that physical change should run

alongside and support economic and social change. This

plan therefore aims to integrate economic and social action

with physical interventions.

The IUDP is intended to link with the statutory planning

system by contributing to the forthcoming Local

Development Plan, as well as other public and private policy

initiatives.

approach to the IUDP

The Kilmarnock IUDP had to be prepared in a very contracted

timespan through winter, while engaging with business and

the community. The process of preparing this plan is made up

of two simple phases.

The first phase of analysis included engaging with a wide

cross-section of people in Kilmarnock to understand their

aspirations and concerns. We made contact with over

450 people from businesses, schools, neighbourhoods,

shoppers, visitors, youth groups, public agencies and social

enterprises. Some people gave us their thoughts in a short

conversation on a street corner; others took part in in-depth

workshop discussions.

Taken together, they provided a wealth of information from

different perspectives about how the town and its centre,

particularly, functions both physically and socially. It also

allowed us to understand people’s concerns about the town,

and their aspirations for its future.

In parallel with those engagement discussions, the study

team undertook analysis of the town’s economy and physical

environment, and took time to understand the wide range

the gushet building at the corner of Garden Street and West George Street


of other initiatives happening in the town. Chapter 2 of this

report summarises the issues, challenges and aspirations

that emerged from that first phase of the study.

The second phase was to generate a vision and action

proposals as a response to the issues, challenges and

aspirations. How should the town, and particularly the town

centre, evolve to become more lively, attractive, healthy

and sustainable? The second phase involved developing a

coherent vision and proposals to address the challenge in a

the Procurator Fiscal’s office on St Marnock Street

recessionary context. The draft proposals were tested in two

workshops in early March 2011, with participants from public

agencies, businesses and community groups.

Chapters 3 and 4 map out that vision and proposals, and

chapter 5 outlines the benefits that should accrue from

implementing them. Chapter 6 then identifies what needs

to happen to take this IUDP forward to become reality,

including a full list of proposals for early action (0-1 year),

mid term (1-3 years) and longer term (3+ years).



2 - i s s u e s , c h a l l e n g e s a n d a s s e t s

Kilmarnock, its town centre and its people undoubtedly face

a range of issues and challenges as a post industrial town

in West Central Scotland. However, unlike some places, the

town has clear strengths and opportunities from which to

build a more sustainable future. This chapter sets out some

of those issues, challenges and opportunities, drawing from

• the views of local people and organisations,

• analysis of the built and natural environment, and

• consideration of the economic context

2.1 From Engagement: local people, local organisations and local businesses

Between November 2010 and January 2011, the study team

made contact with over 450 people from businesses, schools,

neighbourhoods, shoppers, visitors, youth groups, public

agencies and social enterprises. Some people took part in in-

depth workshop discussions, others gave us their thoughts

in a short conversation on a street corner. Appendix 2 gives

further details of the events.

This section provides an overview of the issues raised as a set

of themes. At the heart of people’s aspirations was a desire to

get people from Kilmarnock and surrounding communities

into the town centre, so that it again becomes the bustling,

lively focus of the town. Nine themes emerged from the

consultation on how this might be done. Taken together,

these build a detailed picture of the town’s issues, challenges

and assets as perceived by its ‘user’ population.

2.1.1 The importance of people

• positive = Kilmarnock was cited as “the friendliest

shopping town in Britain” in 2006, with strong

community pride and identity, a desire to make the

town better, an improving Council, and a generally

positive press. It was viewed as less impersonal than

stakeholder workshop 08/03/2011

stakeholder walkabout 08/03/2011

Loanhead Primary School workshop


out-of-town malls like Silverburn

• negative = However, antisocial behaviour in the town

centre is a real problem. This is strongly linked to the

concentration of methadone dispensing in town centre

pharmacies, and is a strong deterrent to people of all

ages coming into the town centre, particularly around

the Bus Station entrance

• there is a clear need to foster a more positive spirit and

build confidence and pride about the centre of town

2.1.2 Make the town more attractive and competitive

• It was recognised that it is important for the town

centre to be competitive: clean, well-maintained,

welcoming, safe and attractive public realm – perhaps

even covered?

• Broadening the shopping offer is really important to

people – both bigger name/brand shops (e.g. Primark)

and also local independents (see also theme 8 below)

• Having more things going on in the town centre with a

good programme of activities/events in public spaces

(see 9 also), a wider range of events in venues like the

Palace, and a creche for kids while parents shop, etc

• Derelict/uncared for buildings and spaces need to be

fixed: particularly along John Finnie Street (especially

the Opera House), Sandbed Street and the river (both

of which are seen as having great potential), and the

northern and southern edges of the town centre (its

“front doors”)

• Addressing the number of abandoned shops – and the

rundown appearance they create – is a big concern.

There was an appeal for these to be put to more positive

use

• The 1960s/1970s redevelopments NE of the Cross are

unloved – the Bus Station especially (unwelcoming

during the day, unsafe at night), but also the Burns Mall,

the Palace underpass, the Foregate, the Clydesdale Bank

and the multi-storey car park.

• Built heritage is acknowledged to be a valuable asset

Kilmarnock bus station



– but there is also an aspiration for newer shops and

buildings

2.1.3 Build on assets

Nurture and connect the town’s many assets, including:

• Bank Street

• Howard and Kay Parks

• built heritage – e.g. John Finnie St

• friendliness

• the river

• The Galleon

• Dick Institute

• schools and college

• bus station

• good retail offer for the size of town (some say good

range of shops, others say poor)

• cafes

• clean

• quality residential areas

• Kilmarnock Football Club

• build on existing character: both of the built

environment and people (friendliness/personal

service)

• convenience: the town centre is conveniently

located, easy to access (except for the barrier effect

of the ring road) and the shops are close together

• accessible location with good strategic linkages:

close to two major international airports, and

there is good road/rail accessibility with respect to

Glasgow, East Kilbride, Ayr and other towns, as well

as a sizeable “market town” hinterland

• existing employers: some big firms have gone, but

we need to support other employers left in the town

and make the most of them – e.g. bring Council

employment into the centre, support existing

employers to grow (both manufacturing and

services)

2.1.4 Build leisure and recreational role

The evening offer is currently considered way too limited –

needs more critical mass:

• make more of existing venues like the Palace Theatre –

more bands for all ages

• introduce night-time uses on King Street – currently all

shops

• need restaurants and healthy food options

• need a hotel in the town centre (boutique rather than a

chain?)

• programme of activities/events in outdoor public spaces

and indoor venues (see 3 also)

• the Galleon is an important asset, for young people in

particular – make it more accessible/affordable and

more wide-ranging (e.g. climbing wall, Laserquest etc)

• youth centre, skatepark/bmx, other social and retail

things for young people – e.g. Glasgow Spreebook,

cheaper buses to get into town (walking not always

safe) – so they can use the town centre more

• other young people’s stuff – e.g. skateboard park (already

proposed by young people but foundering for lack of

support), legal graffiti wall, pool not in a pub for <18s

2.1.5 A compact, convenient town centre

The compact nature of the town centre is viewed as good –

it’s easy to get around, it’s convenient:

• the town centre doesn’t need to be as big as it is: how

do we condense it? what should happen to the northern

and southern margins, where this process is already

happening?

• introduce more residential use around the town centre,

particularly for young families

• nurture more mixed use along John Finnie Street – cafes,

bars, residential, cultural, restaurants, specialist shops

like books and music


2.1.6 Connecting places in and around the town centre

There is a need to better connect the town centre with

greenspaces (Howard Park and Kay Park), civic area (Dick

Institute, existing College site etc), Queens Drive retail and

leisure

• one-way system is too much of a barrier to connections

between the town centre and surrounding assets and

neighbourhoods – traffic dominates at the expense of

pedestrian/cyclist movement

• at Sturrock St/ Green St, physical design as well as traffic

create a formidable barrier

• need easy, non-car-based movement between Queens

Drive and the town centre – e.g. high quality, regular,

cheap/free shuttle bus – preferably eco-friendly

2.1.7 Connecting people and organisations

Public, private and voluntary sectors need to work to each

other’s mutual benefit much more – creating a better town

centre needs commitment and input from each of them

• this covers politicians, Council officers, College, other

public sector, businesses, social enterprises, community

groups – all need to connect up better, linking the good

things that are happening

• need more flexibility, more entrepreneurial attitudes

and more equal dialogue/support across partners

2.1.8 Independent Kilmarnock - small businesses and

enterprises

• foster independent shops, businesses and social

enterprises - locally based for local people

• support existing businesses who want to grow and

invest in the town – some of whom are substantial

• develop a more positive entrepreneurial spirit amongst

public sector, a “can do” attitude to support small local

private and social enterprise

• aspiration for greener lifestyles – build on having first

bio-buses in Britain

2.1.9 Celebrate Kilmarnock

There is a need for better, more proactive strategic

promotion - to celebrate the town’s identity, pride and what

it has to offer – what’s on activity guide – all this is as much

for the town’s own residents as for external markets

• for many people outside Kilmarnock, their most recent

perception is BBC’s The Scheme – which was relatively

negative – and needs short term tactical response

• how attractive might the tourist offer be? ...would the

Burns connection, “Kilmarnock Dean Castle”, the legacy

of Johnnie Walker and the built heritage attract people?

should we have a tourist information centre? could we

integrate better with Ayrshire’s big tourist draws such as

Prestwick Airport, Alloway and Troon?

• Building up pride and confidence was seen as a key

objective over time

2.2 built and natural environment

Overview :

In physical terms, much of Kilmarnock is attractive and

distinctive. A substantial part of the fabric of the town

is made up of a series of residential neighbourhoods of

different ages, many of which have their own retail centres,

schools and community hubs. Two of these neighbourhoods

are Conservation Areas which are close to the town centre.

Part of the attraction and distinctiveness of the town also

lies in its extensive parks and greenspace with some of these

running into the town centre itself. Industrial areas of the



town have traditionally been situated close to the town

centre, particularly in the north-west sector along the main

railway line to Glasgow and to the south along the B7038.

These areas have seen considerable structural change in the

past decade and this will continue with the closure of the

Diageo complex.

The 20th century has seen major changes in the structure of

the town. The most significant of these are:

• the modernisation of the town centre in the 1970s

through redevelopment and road construction

• the expansion of peripheral residential developments

• the decline of local industries particularly around the

north west and south of the town centre bringing about

structural and land use change

• the development of the Queen’s Drive area for out-of-

centre retail and leisure

The effects of these changes can be summarised as: Kilmarnock 1819

Kilmarnock 1939 Kilmarnock 2011

1 0 | M A K E I T K I L M A R N O C K B O A R D | E A S T A Y R S H I R E C O U N C I L

• poor quality new building in the town centre

• dislocation of the town centre from surrounding

residential areas by roads infrastructure

• contraction in the role of the town centre exacerbated

by competing attractions

• fragmentation of the urban fabric along High and Low

Glencairn Street

So in physical terms, there is a mismatch between the size

of the centre and the roles that it can play in the early 21st

century. Coupled with the current recession, this manifests

itself as:

• aninabilitytoachievedevelopmentonkeysites,

especially at the north end of the town centre

• highlevelsofvacancy,especiallyinmorerecently

constructed properties

Appreciation:

The commentary above has focused on some of the

challenges that face the town centre and while there are

many negative factors and difficulties to resolve, these

is also much that is positive and helps to provide a good

quality environment for people and businesses. There are

many assets which at the moment are under-utilised and

could provide the basis for substantial positive change in the

character of the town centre and the way in which it relates

to the rest of the town.

A rich heritage:

Much of the west side of Kilmarnock town centre is covered

by the John Finnie Street and Bank Street Outstanding

Conservation Area. This area occupies a slightly sloping

site running up to the base of Mount Pleasant, the hill that

dominates the northern side of the town centre. The Railway

line and 23 span Viaduct forms a definite edge to the northern

part of the town centre. A stretch of the Kilmarnock Water,

behind Bank Street, traverses the town centre and forms the

eastern edge to a portion of the existing Conservation Area.

Streets within the Conservation Area are a combination of

some of the oldest and most historic streets in Kilmarnock

and some Victorian era additions, which are distinguished

by their straight lines. Bank Street and John Finnie Street

form twin spines of the Conservation Area, with most of the

other streets within it bisecting one or both of these streets.

The irregular street pattern of Bank Street and surrounding

streets such as Strand, Croft, Cheapside, College Wynd and

Low Church Lane provide a sharp contrast to the planned

Kilmarnock Cross, late 19th century

John Finnie Street, 1905 from “Ayrshire & Arran”, An illustrated Architectural Guide, Rob Close


N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 | K E V I N M U R R A Y A S S O C I A T E S | 1 1

geometry and straight lines of John Finnie Street and King

Street.

There are two historically and architecturally distinct areas

within the Conservation Area: John Finnie Street; and the

Laigh Kirk, Bank Street and Strand Street.

• John Finnie Street: A superb and unusually

complete example of a Victorian planned street. The

distinctiveness of the street is defined by its largely

uniform use of quality building materials such red

sandstone. The scale and character of the street

contrasts with the rest of the town.

• Laigh Kirk, Bank Street and Strand Street: This area

comprises the post-medieval core of the town. Although

made up of largely 19th century buildings the original,

irregular medieval street plan is adhered to and is the

defining characteristic of this part of the Conservation

Area.

Kilmarnock heritage


The conservation area provides some of the highest quality

environments in Kilmarnock. The fact that the conservation

area designation includes both sides of John Finnie Street

and extends west from there to include a range of mixed use

properties means that although the street is part of the one-

way system, it is rather less intrusive and difficult to cross

that other parts of the gyratory. However John Finnie Street

is in need of considerable improvement if it is to become

not only a significant planned street with good architecture

but also a social space where people congregate and feel

comfortable.

River and greenspace:

One of Kilmarnock’s undiscovered gems is the Kilmarnock

Water which flows through the town centre from north to

south. Many attractive towns and cities are famous for their

relationship with a river or waterway. Usually the town has

embraced the river in some form and provides a means of

accessing its banks or simply watching the water – this in

turn attracts people to the river and often encourages the

development of promenade cafes and social spaces.

In contrast, the Kilmarnock Water is largely hidden from

view. The Burns Mall shopping centre is built over it there are

no views of it from King Street or Bank Street. Three bridges

and Sandbed Street provide the only means of getting close

to the river. At the same time just beyond the town centre

to the north east, the Kilmarnock Water flows through Kay

Park until it disappears behind the Palace Theatre. In the

south west, the river opens out into Howard Park providing a

picturesque focus for this popular greenspace.

There is enormous potential to establish a more positive

relationship between the town centre and the Kilmarnock

Water in which the river becomes a more obvious and

integral part of a high quality town centre environment. A

more positive relationship might also involve using the river

to improve connections with the town centre and the rest of

the town through a series of comfortable pedestrian spaces

and linking footpaths. Such a footpath system could also

encompass a wider green network throughout the town. In

other words, the blue and green network traced out by the

Kilmarnock Water and the existing parks and Core Paths

could be enlarged and integrated into a town-wide system

focused on links to the town centre. Such a network would

link people, places and habitats.The Kilmarnock Water and Sandbed Street



Movement:

The legibility of Kilmarnock town centre is much eroded by

the one-way system. The two-lane clockwise gyratory, with

its accompanying signs, barriers and traffic signals, reduces

much of the town centre’s character to anonymous and often

over-sized highway.

On the west side of the one-way system, John Finnie Street

is not a comfortable place for pedestrians and the retail

offer is undermined by the discomfort of crossing the two

lanes of traffic. Extensive use of traffic signals adds to the

congestion, further eroding the qualities of the street.

Signalling of pedestrian crossings favours traffic to a marked

extent.

The top end of Green Street, framed by the railway arches

on one side and car parks on the other, forms a physical

and psychological barrier between the town centre and the

northern area of the town. The bottom end of Green Street

and Sturrock Street face the backs of the main local shopping

centre. Pedestrian routes are limited to the riverside, with

very limited opportunities to cross the road towards the

centre. The theatre, one of the town’s principal attractions,

is located adjacent to a four lane road and is connected to

the town centre by an underpass and an awkward at grade

route to the bus station.

The approach to the pedestrianised area of King Street from

the south-east is particularly poor. Pedestrians are required

to cross a 4-lane junction and walk along the side of a super-

store. A series of pedestrian barriers guides them along the

A735 towards the pedestrianised area, where traffic sweeps

along Titchfield Street towards St Marnock Street barely

acknowledging the presence of King Street.

An integral part of the movement system is the parking

provision which is concentrated in one multi-storey car park

at the north end of the town which is not particularly well

used and a series of at grade car parks distributed around

the one-way system. Some of these at grade car parks are

certainly popular on particular weekdays and at different

times of day but their effect on the appearance of the town

centre, and on first impressions is negative. With a few

exceptions, for example the car park between Nelson Street

and St Marnock Street near the Sheriff Court, these car parks

do not even act as social spaces or relate properly to the

surrounding land uses.

Public realm:

The town centre has been the subject of considerable

investment in pedestrianisation and public realm with much

effort put into the design of streets and the materials used.

However within the town centre Conservation Area between

John Finnie Street and King Street, one-way restrictions

compromise the coherence of this very lightly trafficked

environment.

The width and configuration of the southern stretch of the

gyratory system erodes the connections between King Street

and the rest of the town. The dominance of highway clutter

such as barriers, signs, bollards, barriers and traffic signals

is merely one part of a deeper problem limiting the town’s

potential.

The location of extensive parking areas at the edge of the

inner town centre creates a sudden change in scale that adds

The King Street/Titchfield Street section of the one-way system


to the feel of segregation between the town centre and the

rest of the town. As a result, the town feels disjointed with

few good connections between the centre and the outer

neighbourhoods. For the visitor, the layout of the town is

very difficult to comprehend.

John Finnie’s Street feels disjointed both from the railway

station and the rest of the town centre despite its key role of

linking the station to the town.

Sturrock Street feels uncomfortably wide, the space outside

the theatre is particularly bleak and unwelcoming while the

underpass is an inappropriate link between the theatre and

the town centre.

Vacancy:

In common with many town centres throughout the UK at

the moment, vacant property is an unfortunate feature of

Kilmarnock town centre. This is found throughout the town

centre but there are particular clusters where vacancy is

especially high around:

• Portland Street and Foregate at the north end of the

town centre

• the bottom of King Street/Titchfield Street that is part

of the one-way system

In the case of Portland Street and Foregate, the vacancy rate

is surprising given that these streets are the main routes

into the town centre from two of the most popular car parks

but there is anecdotal evidence from shopkeepers that

these areas are not popular shopping streets because of the

presence of anti-social behaviour associated with drug users

as was reported earlier in this document.

In the case of King Street/Titchfield Street, the problem is

easier to define. The pedestrianised section of King Street

to the north of the vacancy cluster and that part of Titchfield

Street to the south of the cluster are reasonable successful

for retail. The vacancy cluster itself is along part of the

one-way system where pedestrian routes are defined and

enclosed by guard rails which create a hostile environment.

Summary

Town centre dynamics and integration:

This brief analysis of the physical characteristics of the town

centre has highlighted many positive facets of Kilmarnock

and its town centre especially the qualities of the town’s

residential neighbourhoods, the parks and greenspaces, the

merits of the town centre’s built environment and the public

sector’s investment in high quality public realm over the past

20 years.

The principal factor preventing these assets from integrating

into a more complete place is the traffic system, its

infrastructure and the poor environment which it creates for

visitors, businesses, car users and pedestrians. The traffic

system includes the car parks which have a negative impact

on first impressions of the town and its visual qualities. The

same can be said about the signage associated with the road

vacancy clusters in and around the town centre



system. This traffic system was designed for a time when the

town centre was a much more popular and busy place than

it is today and the time may be right to consider a complete

change of philosophy and approach. The opportunity exists

to change the road system to create a series of placemaking

initiatives built to the same high quality as the existing work

in the town centre but with the additional aim of creating

well used social spaces rather than just visually attractive

public realm.

In terms of opportunities for change through development

or redevelopment, the current property market difficulties

suggest that there may only be limited opportunities for new

interventions. But given a longer timescale than the horizon

of the current recession there is a clear need and expressed

desire for change. These are in the shorter term:

• a comprehensive development proposal for the top of

the town including the area south of the viaduct at

Green Street, the car parks at Larchfield Road, Portland

Street and the buildings on Foregate

• development proposals for the Diageo site just outside

the town centre to the north west on Hill Street

• promoting and encouraging development proposals

and the conversion of properties facing the river along

Sandbed Street

In the medium to longer term:

• development proposals for the series of at grade car

parks around the one-way system aimed at starting

to rebuild street frontages, particularly onto Sturrock

Street

• development proposals to repair urban fabric in the

Titchfield Street and Glencairn Street areas

These proposals will have a marked degree of synergy with

proposals for a comprehensive blue and green network across

Kilmarnock and focusing on the town centre.

2.3 economic context

Wider Economic Drivers

The economic experience of Kilmarnock is rooted in the wider

experience of the Scottish and UK economies over the last 30

years. Scotland today is a very different place economically

to where it was in 1980. Looking over that period we have

witnessed a number of major shifts in the economy which

have impacted on Kilmarnock’s competitiveness:

• Massive structural economic changes. The Scotland

of 1981 was a country of coal, steel, engineering and

manufacturing. Scotland today makes its living in an

entirely different way. In 1981, almost a quarter of people

in work earned their living in manufacturing and mining

industries – by 2010 the equivalent figure was just 8%1.

Today almost 90% of all jobs in Scotland are located

within service industries.

• The rise of the knowledge economy: Firms in Scotland

now increasingly compete on the basis of generating

and exploiting knowledge and ideas. This is a key driver

of the increased demand for higher level skills in the

labour market, but it also places greater emphasis on

access to research and development expertise, strong

links between Higher Education and the Business Base

and, string business networks.

• Location matters for business – but in different ways:

The factors that are driving business location decisions

are subtly different from what they were 30 years

ago. High quality business places and environments

remain important for major firms, as does the ability

to draw on large pools of talent and skills. Strategic

and local transport networks are also important – as is

digital connectivity. And quality of life issues are also

increasingly important in the decision making of firms –

and of individuals.

• Personal mobility and choice have impacted on place –

The last 30 years have witnessed a significant weakening

of the ties between where we work, where we shop and

where we live Increased car ownership, better transport

infrastructure and higher wages have led to higher

levels of commuting and the rise of out of town business

parks, retail parks, and leisure parks. This drift towards

edge of town and edge of city development has had

1 ONS – Workforce Jobs


major impacts on town centres, including Kilmarnock.

• But choices haven’t been open to everyone – Al the

academic evidence on commuting patterns confirm that

people with higher skills are more likely to commute for

jobs – with the higher wages they achieve off-setting the

increased costs of travelling. Those in low paid jobs are

less likely to travel, and those out of work can face major

barriers in terms of travel to work.

• A higher skilled workforce, but greater polarisation: As

the Scottish economy has transformed into a service

sector economy we’ve had to get smarter and develop

new skills. Many jobs need higher level skills and

today more than one in three people in employment in

Scotland has a degree. This has been underpinned by a

massive expansion of higher and further education.

• Unemployment and the legacy of worklessness – This

economic transition has left those with low level skills

further behind. People with low levels of qualifications

can typically access only low skilled, low paid work

and are four times as likely to be unemployed then

the average worker. There is also strong evidence

that worklessness is being passed from generation to

generation, especially in communities that have been

hit hard by de-industrialisation.

• These trends have tended to reinforce the importance

of cities and engines of economic growth. Glasgow and

Edinburgh have seen the strongest jobs growth across

the country over the last 10 years , have seen the greatest

diversity in terms of the types of new jobs, and have

attracted around three quarters of all known inward

investment into Scotland. They have partly succeeded

as a result of this ability to draw on large pools of

skilled labour from around the city region, their better

connectivity and their world class education and research

bases. Finally, the Scottish economy is emerging from the

deepest since the recession since the end of the Second

World War. Early evidence in the local impacts of the

recession suggest that Kilmarnock has been hit hard.

Importantly the post recession period is one that is likely

to be characterised by lower levels of economic growth,

lower levels of public sector funding and less private

finance available in development markets.

Where is the Kilmarnock economy today?

Table 1.1: Kilmarnock: Key Economic Indicators

Kilmarnock* East

Ayrshire

Scotland

Employment Growth

Total Jobs 2009 19,383 39,160 2,382.487

Jobs Growth 2003-

2009

-755 -1,689 75,491

% Jobs Growth 2003-

2009

-4% -4% 3%

Kilmarnock* East

Ayrshire

Scotland

Employment Growth

- rounded

Total Jobs 2009 19,400 39,200 2,382.500

Jobs Growth 2003-

2009

-800 -1,700 75,500

% Jobs Growth 2003-

2009

-4% -4% 3%

Source: ABI & BRES

Labour Market

Participation

Out-of-work benefit

claimants

19.3% 18.1% 14.9%

IB / ESA Claimant

Rate 2010

9.4% 9.9% 8.7%

JSA Claimant Rate

2011

6.4% 7.3% 4.5%

East

Ayrshire

Scotland

Workforce

Qualification 2009NVQ Level 4+ 31% 38%

NVQ Level 3 14% 16%

NVQ Level 2 18% 14%

NVQ Level 1 11% 10%

Other Qualifications 8% 8%

No Qualifications 12% 9%

% of working age population, Source: APS, Percentages do not add up to

100 as those in Trade Apprenticeship are excluded



The 5 year period ahead of the recession of 2008/09 was

one of strongest economic and employment growth in the

Scottish economy. Total employment grew in Scotland by

over 113,000 (5%) ahead of the recession. However as the

table above shows, this period of strong growth by passed

East Ayrshire and Kilmarnock. Total employment fell by 1,400

and 200 respectively in what were relatively good years in

terms of economic performance. Data on the labour market

also shows that the Kilmarnock area has been hit hard by

both the economic transition of the last 30 years and the

impact of the recession. Almost one in every five people of

working age in the town is on an out of work benefit, and

the JSA claimant rate at 6.4% is around one and a half times

the Scottish average. Just under one in 10 people in the town

is on Incapacity Benefit or on the transition to Employment

Support Allowance.

The town’s current economic base is not without some

strengths, but it is markedly different from that of the

country as a whole in terms of its overall structure.

Table 1.2 Employment share 2009

Est no

of jobs

Kilmarnock Scotland

Retail 2,450 14.4% 10.0%

Public administration

& defence

2,300 13.4% 6.4%

Business

administration &

support services

2,000 11.9% 7.5%

Health 1,800 10.8% 16.1%

Manufacturing 1,300 7.7% 7.9%

Education 1,250 7.2% 8.2%

Accommodation &

food services

970 5.7% 7.3%

Arts, entertainment,

recreation & other

services

900 5.2% 4.3%

Construction 800 4.6% 5.5%

Professional, scientific

& technical

800 4.6% 6.3%

Wholesale 550 3.1% 3.1%

Transport & storage 550 3.1% 4.3%

Financial & insurance 360 2.1% 3.9%

Information &

communication

- 1.0% 2.4%

Property - 1.0% 1.1%

Over represented in

Kilmarnock

Under represented in

Kilmarnock

• The biggest employing private sector industries in the

town are retail (2,450 jobs), business administration

(2,000 jobs mostly in call centres, facilities management

and office cleaning and servicing); manufacturing (1,300

jobs including Diageo) and hotels, restaurants and

bars (970 jobs). With the exception of manufacturing,

employment in these sectors is generally lower paid and

is more likely to be part-time.

• The public sector accounts for a very significant

proportion of employment with the three largest

sectors accounting for almost one in three (31.4%) of

all jobs. There are 2,300 people employed in public

administration jobs, 1,800 in health and 1,250 in

education.

• Kilmarnock has low numbers of jobs and a lower share of

jobs in some of the higher value and / or faster growing

sectors of the economy. This includes Professional

and Technical Industries such as Architects, Lawyers

and Civil Engineers (only 4.6% of all jobs v Scottish

average of 5.6%); Finance and Insurance (only 2.1% of

all jobs v Scottish average of 3.9%); Information and

Communication technology (only 1.0% of all jobs v

Scottish average of 2.4%)

In summary the town’s current employment base is weaker

than it might be, with Kilmarnock providing less of the broad

range of employment opportunities that stakeholders might

aspire to. In terms of the Urban Development Plan therefore,

helping to improve the economic resilience of the town is an

important challenge.


2.3 conclusion

This chapter sets out some of the issues, challenges and

opportunities facing Kilmarnock, drawn from discussions

with local people and organisations, and analysis of the built

and natural environment and economic context.

Clearly, there are a number of challenges that the town faces,

including:

• anti-social behaviour, particularly in the vicinity of the

Burns Mall and the bus station, acting as a deterrent to

people shopping and visiting the town centre

• break down the barrier effect of the one-way gyratory

traffic system, which is disorientating and severs

the town centre from surrounding facilities and

neighbourhoods

• make the town centre more welcoming, particularly

when approached from the north

• high incidence of dereliction and vacancy in certain

parts of the town centre

• build a more positive relationship between the town

centre, the river and the parks, through a network of

paths and spaces

• diversify the economic base of the town, to improve its

resilience

• a lack of evening activities for adults and young people

in the town centre beyond pubs

• a continuing need for different people and organisations

in the town – public, private and voluntary sectors – to

connect up and support each other

• build confidence in the town and what it has to offer

In addressing these challenges, a number of particular

strengths and assets have emerged on which this Integrated

Urban Development Plan should build. These include:

• a compact and convenient town centre, with most

facilities closely located – shops, sports facilities,

railway station and so on

• the inherent character of historic areas of the town

centre and adjoining neighbourhoods, such as John

Finnie Street and Bank Street, around the Dick Institute,

and Howard and Kay Parks

• a reputation as a friendly town, with local businesses

and personal service

• recent growth in population, as well as high quality

residential areas close to the town centre

• good educational facilities, including higher and up to

further education

• commitment amongst public, private and voluntary

sectors to see the town rise again



3 - v i s i o n a n d s t r a t e g y

The previous chapter summarised the contemporary

contextual material drawn from a combination of the people

of Kilmarnock and the study team. Working from these

issues, challenges and opportunities we developed a vision

for Kilmarnock to set the direction for change. This was

To make Kilmarnock a more resilient town, turning itself around

over a period of 10 to 15 years through a range of transformative

actions, both small and large, across the spectrum of people,

place and economic activity. The aim is to make Kilmarnock one

of the most vibrant and productive towns in Scotland, positively

attracting people, investment and jobs, and where people will be

proud to live.

Kilmarnock needs to get fit to play a bigger socio-economic

role in the regional and national economy, which – in the

current climate of uncertainty – must be done initially by

focussing on a wide range of affordable improvements. The

key is to shift how the town is perceived both by locals and

by outsiders.

Six principles are advocated to guide and underpin the vision

and the various proposals:

1. Build up community & economic capacity– reinforcing

Kilmarnock’s role as a community hub and county-wide

service centre

2. Improve positive place attributes – focused around

making safer and more attractive public spaces that

enhance its identity positively

3. A family–friendly feel to the place – enlivening the

town centre with activities, events and visitors from

near and far, for all ages, during the day and in the

evening

4. Greener, more localist culture – exploiting parks,

green links and reinforcing walking connections across

neighbourhoods

5. Renewed focus on learning and enterprise –

supporting primary, secondary, further and higher

view south west along Bank Street - one of the town’s assets


education as well as other forms of learning for all ages,

and offering more proactive support for existing and

small-scale private and social enterprise

6. Confident and proud – with a positive attitude to

support local providers, services and attractions

In terms of physical and spatial change, the kind of place

that this vision and principles seek to generate is a compact

town with a condensed core. New development should be

concentrated primarily within the existing built-up area in

the next 5 to 10 years.

The vision and principles will not be achieved exclusively

through this Integrated Urban Development Plan. This needs

to be carefully linked with other initiatives that Make it

Kilmarnock are undertaking in parallel with this plan, such

as a branding and marketing strategy, which are also of

fundamental importance in delivering the vision.

strategic approach

The strategy for Kilmarnock’s IUDP comprises a series of

elements that seek to help re-balance and turn the town

around. These comprise

• an economic strategy component, that seeks to help

re-position Kilmarnock in the medium term,

• a spatial strategy dimension, about how the shape

emphasis should change to meet future needs, and to

shape future investment

• a movement and place strategy thread, around an

alternative to the ring road/gyratory constraint on

the towns identity and functioning

Key elements informing the strategic approach are:

1 There should be a progressive series of inter-related

actions, building on recent investment, for instance

in the Bank Street area, and as proposed at the Diageo

site.

2 The place need to be physically (and visually)

transformed if it is to reposition itself – whether for

business, and for residents, or for visitors.

3 The improvements should be tailored to the unique

nature of Kilmarnock, rather than inappropriate or

place-less ‘clone town’ solutions or direct replicas of

out-of-town centres.

4 Addressing movement, from arrival and orientation,

to quality and legibility of routes, is important for a

range of users, including visitors, shoppers, the old

and the young.

5 There should be a mix of implementation measures,

combining smaller easier steps with larger more

transformational projects to be implemented in

phases over time

6 Crucially there needs to be a clear focus on addressing

the needs in and around the town centre, including a

consolidation and ‘ densification’ around the core, to

build investment, scale, intensity and use. This means

reducing all the external edge of town investment in

retail and residential investment that is not already

committed.

7 A local-first approach should be used to build strength

from within, drawing support for and from, local

employment base, local shops and services, and public

agencies. This needs to be complemented by a more

outward looking inward investment and strategic

customer approach.

8 A wider city-region perspective is also needed to

optimise opportunities from Kilmarnock’s growing

relationship with Glasgow and the surrounding area,

in terms of transport, services, residential catchment

9 each physical intervention should support community



and economic objectives, while economic initiatives

should enhance, rather than detract from the quality

of the town. Urban design and placemaking need to be

at the heart of the philosophy of place transformation.

There are three inter-related strategy elements as follows:

1 spatial strategy

The direction of the spatial strategy has been developed from

the analysis of the town centre in the context of the rest of

Kilmarnock. There is a need for the strategy to bring about:

• physical integration of the centre with other parts of the

town

• clearer relations between residential areas and the town

centre

• a broadening of the role of the town centre so that is

predicated not only on retail but also on a much broader

collection of activities which include administration,

leisure, residential, employment , social enterprise and

community and cultural uses

• a series of placemaking initiatives which emphasis

the themes above but which also treat streets as social

spaces rather than purely visual compositions

• the enabling and promotion of development

opportunities in the short, medium and longer term

which help to rebuild the town centre’s relationship

with the rest of the town

• the creation of a blue and green network which can tie

the together and act as a catalyst for new development

in the town centre

2 movement and place strategy The movement and place strategy seeks to ameliorate the

negative aspects of the one-way system which dominates

the town centre. A consistent set of placemaking principles

could transform the whole inner ring-road from an

impenetrable highway boundary, to one where the qualities

of the historic centre merge seamlessly with the area outside

the ring road.

A phased approach starting with tackling the one-way

restriction on John Finnie Street would help prepare the

ground for wider changes in the longer term. The re-design

of the system would be based on a series of simple measures

which would include:

• re-instating the two-way traffic flows, taking precedent

from recent award-winning market town enhancements

such as Ashford in Kent and like Ashford, the key measure

would involve untangling the one-way system, and

returning the key circulating streets to two-way, low-

speed flow

• creating a legible, simplified streetscape, unifying the

character of the public realm, and giving a stronger

focus and sense of place

• creating a low-speed traffic environment, enabling a

sequence of major and minor place-making schemes

to provide clear and legible links to Kilmarnock’s retail

centre

3 economic strategy

The approach to addressing the economic dimension of

the strategy is of a series of progressive measures aimed at

turning the place around for investors, employers and also

visitors. No one project addresses all the issues. Rather a

progressive sequence, as illustrated in this diagram, linked

to the spatial and transport improvements, is what is

proposed.

• Kilmarnock is not fundamentally broken, yet the re-

view of the economic and social drivers make it clear

that it has been losing ground economically for the last


20 or so years. Turning it round is similarly going to be

a longer term process. But the town has the ability, the

desire and the commitment to influence its own eco-

nomic future

• We need to develop a progressive, multi-pronged

approach to improving the town’s competitiveness -

there are no ‘silver bullets’ in terms of turning round the

town’s economy. Competition for inward investment

is tough and the experience of other places in Scotland

show there are risks in short term fixes. We propose a

range of approaches, shifting the balance of effort and

priority weightings over time.

• The starting point is to build on existing economic

assets and businesses, as they are already here.

Diageo may be going but there are lots of businesses

who remain and who are passionate about the town. A

key focus should be on helping existing businesses to

grow and develop and on encouraging small businesses

to start or relocate here. In particular the town should

look to build on existing strengths in terms of business

services and leisure, and maximise the contribution that

the College can make to supporting students to open

businesses.

• There is a need to optimise the benefits of any

investment that is taking place. For instance, the next

few years are likely to see significant investment in the

town in the form of the development of the new College

campus and the wider redevelopment of the former

Diageo site. The Council is also looking to consolidate its

presence and build upon its property assets in the town

centre. It will be important to use these investment as

‘levers’ that support and integrate new development

opportunities for the town, including retail, local

services, and other physical improvements.

• It will be crucial to look beyond the town, towards

the wider city region. Kilmarnock is not a closed

system, and its connectivity to Glasgow is good,

having improved drastically over the past few years.

Capitalising on the town’s proximity to Glasgow should

be a key feature of any strategy to improve economic

resilience. This could include encouraging families

and people who work in Glasgow to come and live in

Kilmarnock as well as giving Kilmarnock residents the

skills to access jobs in the city as it continues to grow.

• Aspirations are important drivers, but they have to

be rooted in realism. The workshops highlighted many

potential opportunities in growth industries including

tourism, renewable energy, and financial services.

These are important and achievable aspirations – in

due course. The strategy needs to recognise in a wider

Scottish context, within which Kilmarnock is not

the only place thinking about these opportunities.

Furthermore the town does not have a recent track

record of success in attracting high growth industries.

It will take time to build up knowledge of these sectors

and put in place the conditions that might attract more

businesses in these sectors to the town. There may be

merit in focusing on one or two of these sectors at the

outset, rather than several.

• The importance of place making and attractiveness.

Successful places over the longer term are those which

are appealing – to residents, investors, visitors. Kilmar-

nock has many excellent characteristics, but much has

been identified that could improve the place offer. From

an economic development point of view, the place mak-

ing interventions suggested elsewhere in the Urban De-



town centre strategy and proposals


velopment Plan are not ‘add-ons’ to the economic ambi-

tions of the town nor are they ‘instead-ofs’. Rather they

are a central and integral part of the approach to build-

ing the attractiveness of Kilmarnock to locals, investors

and visitors.

It is the interlinkage of these three strategic strands that

gives the Plan its strength and coherence.

The next section contains the proposals for achieving this

overall vision: the range of improvements, from the small and

affordable to a limited number of bigger ticket items, which

will deliver the transformational change that is required for

the town to get fitter for its future purpose.



4 - p l a n p ro p o s a l s

The proposals are designed to deliver the vision and

principles outlined in the previous chapter, and to respond

to the issues, challenges and opportunities which emerged

during consultation. These proposed improvements are,

therefore, a direct response to the issues and aspirations of

the wide range of people of Kilmarnock who contributed to

this study.

The proposals are grouped into three scale categories,

each of which contains a mix of physical/spatial proposals

and supporting economic or social actions. There are big

interventions of a transformational nature, important assets

to safeguard and exploit, and joining up projects and actions.

1. BIG INTERVENTIONS

2. SAFEGUARDING ThE ASSETS

3. JOINING IT TOGEThER

Delivery and implementation proposals have also been

incorporated into these three groups, rather than the

conventional approach of seeing them as separate. This is

because the proposals for delivering the Integrated Urban

Development Plan are, in reality, integral to its success.

Category 1 Projects: the big interventions

Category 1 contains the following proposals:

1.1 A shift in planning policy to broaden central area uses

1.2 A series of one-way system interventions to change the

culture of the town as a user-friendly destination

1.3 Top of the Town - a revised road system and the release of

sites for new development

1.4 The Diageo site

1.5 Making the most of the College Campus development

1.6 Developing role for the ‘Make it Kilmarnock’ Strategic

Advisory Board

1.7 Behavioural issues in/around bus station and Burns Mall

1.8 Develop a clear economic strategy for Kilmarnock

the railway viaduct at the top of the town - a popular landmark


1.1 A shift in planning policy to broaden central area uses

– to include:

• specialist retail and local services

• cafes, pubs, restaurants

• professional + administrative suites

• health + community, therapies + beauty

• creative, cultural, engineering, brewing

• Kilmarnock College activities + spin-offs

• affordable premises for start-ups + downsizing private +

social enterprises

• drama, music, entertainment, comedy, nightclubs

• pioneer some low cost, destinational activity

A vibrant mix of uses will not only add to the variety,

vitality and a utility beyond core working hours, but will

also broaden the scope for occupiers to express interest

in properties, whether currently vacant or as potential

developments

1.2 A series of one-way system interventions – John

Finnie St, Palace Theatre and the gateway to town centre

north of the viaduct - to change the culture of the town as a

user-friendly destination.

A phased approach starting with tackling the one-way

restriction on John Finnie Street would help prepare the

ground for wider changes in the longer term. The re-design

of John Finnie Street could be based on a series of simple

measures that could then be applied elsewhere. These would

include:

• Re-instating the two-way traffic flows, taking precedent

from recent award-winning market town enhancements

such as Ashford in Kent. Like Ashford, the key measure

would involve untangling the one-way system, and

returning the key circulating streets to two-way, low-

speed flow. This would allow for street enhancements to

focus on this key retail street first.

• Creating a legible, simplified streetscape, unifying the

character of the public realm, and giving a stronger

focus and sense of place.

• Creating a low-speed traffic environment, enabling a

sequence of major and minor place-making schemes

to provide clear and legible links to Kilmarnock’s retail

centre.

These would also enable the creation of:

• Station Square involving the creation of a coherent

space to provide a welcoming and lively entry point to

the town. The new square would help establish the link

between the Station, John Finnie Street and the Town

Centre.

• Sheriff Court Corner at the intersection of John Finnie

Street with St Marnock Street marks an important

change of scale on the southern entry to Kilmarnock.

The introduction of the two-way system will require

the removal of redundant traffic signals, markings and

traffic islands, allowing a simple place to be created.

mixed use property on John Finnie Street



• Links to the Town Centre with all the intersections of

John Finnie Street treated as critical focal points. These

crossroads are vital in reconnecting to the historic

assets of Bank Street and the Town Centre.

In addition to the above major spaces, we would recommend

a programme to improve the character and function of

smaller intersections, particularly those serving a role as

entry points into the town centre. These would include:

John Finnie Street - existing

John Finnie Street - proposed


• The intersection of the A735 (Titchfield Street) with King

Street which serves as an important pedestrian link to

the retail centre of the town. The removal of pedestrian

barriers and the extension of the treatment of the

pedestrianised area across the junction will dramatically

improve the pedestrian environment, retaining the

required traffic capacity.

• Howard Park Place - the simplification of the traffic

layout provides an opportunity to end the axis of

John Finnie Street with the gate of the park. This

arrangement will also create a simple entry space for

traffic coming from south.

Design principles

All changes to road design and shared surfaces will be

undertaken with input from disabled and public transport

groups, and will build on best practice elsewhere.

Our recommendations for John Finnie Street build on a

combination of simple measures aimed at creating a legible,

low-speed traffic environment that responds to the existing

context and morphology of the street, and could be extended

to the rest of the one-way loop around the centre, once

converted to two-way.

A design speed (as distinct from a formal speed limit) of

around 18 mph would provide the starting point, informing

the dimensions, geometry, choice of materials and detailing

of the streetscape.

As a general principle, we would seek to establish a

carriageway width of 6 metres. This allows for two-way flows

of buses and other large vehicles. We would recommend

that the visual width (the driver’s perception of carriageway

widths) should be further reduced through a kerb detail that

extends the footway material into the carriageway.

The extension to John Finnie Street of the “Restricted Parking

Zone” already established in Bank Street would clarify

use of precious on-street space. Any on-street short-term

parking or loading bays would be defined in a distinctive

material from that of the carriageway to maintain consistent

visual widths. No yellow lines or further signs would be

required within the streets, avoiding the standard highway

characteristics common to many UK public spaces.

We would also recommend the removal of all centre lines and

John Finnie Street - proposals



stop lines. These are unnecessary in low-speed streets, and

their absence helps create such shared space environments.

Similarly, the use of highway signs, signals and barriers

should be kept to an absolute minimum.

The slow speed environment would also allow more informal

pedestrian crossings. “Courtesy crossings “could be located

at regular intervals along the street, giving the opportunity hope Park entrance to town centre - proposed

hope Park entrance to town centre - existing


of interrupting the long row of parked vehicles and

introducing trees and street furniture (i.e. cycle stands).

The contrast between the characteristics of surrounding

highways and the distinctive streetscapes of John Finnie

Street would be maximised through choice of materials

and the use of lighting. Street lighting is mostly mounted

on buildings, and it could be further integrated with the King Street/Titchfield Street - proposed

King Street/Titchfield Street - existing



architecture to add animation to the buildings and shop

fronts.

The selection of paving materials will be determined by

budget, but a simple, robust streetscape vocabulary can

be created through careful selection of asphalts, applied

finishes and the selection of an appropriate local brick or

setts to define the transitions around the key spaces.St Marnock Street/John Finnie Street - proposed

St Marnock Street/John Finnie Street - existing


Simplify the arrangements for the key intersections, with

the use of compact low-speed high-capacity junctions would

enhance the public realm, reducing the barrier effect of a

busy highway space. High capacity signal junctions could

be replaced by roundabouts with reduced approach widths

and tight turning radii, to encourage low vehicular speeds

and retain high urban design standards (as successfully

implemented in Mainland Europe).

John Finnie Street

The two-lane one-way road system, where pedestrians rely

on signal-controlled crossings to negotiate the fast moving

traffic, generates excessive street clutter that erodes the

urban quality of John Finnie Street. The fine Victorian

buildings disappear from view, and key connections are lost.

We would recommend simplifying the street layout

reintroducing a two-way traffic movement. The carriageway

would be narrowed to 6 metres. Parking could be retained

and interspersed by a few carefully located trees that could

help reinforce the sense of place. Courtesy crossings would

be located at regular intervals to enhance the numerous

pedestrian desire lines.

Station Square

The regeneration of the space surrounding the station

underpins the re-design of John Finnie Street. At present the

visitor arriving by train is welcomed by a bleak, incoherent

space lacking definition and dominated by signals. The

quality of the shops and business suffer from the lack of

opportunities for pedestrians to spend time in this area.

Our initial recommendation would include a carefully

designed roundabout that would create an appropriate

forecourt to the station. A paving language of contrasting

materials / textures / tones would define the carriageway

and footway areas.

Sheriff Court Corner

At present the signal-controlled junction of John Finnie

Street, Portland Road, Dundonald Road and St Marnock

Street presents a forbidding barrier to the town centre, and

a poor arrival point into John Finnie Street, dominated by

barriers, signals and all the street signs associated with the

one-way system.

A simple informal junction would cope with likely traffic

volumes and reduce the build-up of stationary queues along

St Marnock Street. We would recommend a careful detailing

of the transition of materials. The selection and inclusion of

characteristic street lighting would help define the identity

of the new space and establish a key transition point into

John Finnie Street.

howard Park Place

The entrance to Howard Park is aligned with John Finnie

Street and provides the opportunity to define the edge this

axis at this side of town.

Our sketch design recommendations build on the principles

of place-making to create a simple, legible relationship

between the park and the street. The design would make

use of surface treatments to create a clear forecourt to the

park, with some distinctive lighting and planting to be

incorporated into the newly paved area. It allows for the full

frontage of the park to become the entry point to the town

centre, emphasising the transition from the A759 to the

slow-speed context of the town centre, where the use of any

centre line or other road markings should be avoided.

1.3 Top of the Town proposals

Proposals for the top of the town would seek to change the

current perception of this area as a series of car parks into

an elegant urban space with a revised road system and



the release of sites for new development. The proposals

are based on the assumption that the one-way system

will evolve into a two-way system so for those arriving

in Kilmarnock from the north, this area would be their

first experience of the town centre and Portland Street /

Wellington Street would be the new point of entry.

The core idea of the top of the town proposal is to create

a new urban space surrounded on three sides by new

development which would help to animate the space. The

development proposals for the area are reasonably modest

given current market conditions but it is considered likely

that the area would be able to sustain:

• a budget hotel

• a cafe/restaurant potentially associated with the bus

station

• start-up office accommodation

• affordable and/or sheltered housing accommodation

The current car park at Portland Street/Green Street would

remain in use as a car park but would take on the character

of an urban square with a programme of events including

farmers’ markets and other attractions.

Two options have been developed for this proposal including

the possibility of redeveloping the Clydesdale Bank Building.

1.4 Proposals for Diageo site with/without College

At the time of writing, the proposed relocation of Kilmarnock

College to the Diageo site was well advanced. This proposal

has therefore been included as the lead proposal in this

report, although alternative proposals for the Diageo site

without the College were also considered.

Relocation of the College would only utilise a portion of the

Diageo site towards the south. For the remainder of the

site, it is important to make sure uses in their site have an

ensure that the urban structure that connects out to the

north west, and also provides uses that are complement

rather than compete directly with town centre, as shown

on accompanying plan which depicts current proposals.

Importantly, the College should not become too self-

contained, but is seen to have a physical presence that

links well to the town centre in terms of physical presence,

activities, connections and movement of people.

development proposal A for the top of the town development proposal B for the top of the town


1.5 Making the most of the College Campus

Development – The College Campus is a potentially

important lever in supporting and integrating new

development into the north of the town. It is likely to be

one of the single biggest physical investments in the town

over the next few years. Explicit consideration should be

given to developing mechanisms that directly connect local

companies – and local people - with the benefits expected

from new development is not just about engaging local firms

and workers in the construction process (though this can

be important) but about conn local businesses into supply

chains, and local people with jobs that might emerge in

Indicative Mixed Use Masterplan Options

Dia

geo

Mas

terp

lan

Hill

Str

eet K

ilmar

nock

Indicative Option 1

Hotel•Residential•Care Home•

Indicative Option 2

Residential•Care Home•

Business•Further Education College•

Business•Further Education College•

the once developments are operational. The employment

brokerage model that was operated at Silverburn by Glasgow

South West Regeneration Agency is a good example.

1.6 The present Make it Kilmarnock Board will have a

key role in supporting the expansion of the town centre and

wider town. This is important to continue momentum from

current position and aspiration for improvement.

• Continuing to build Kilmarnock’s civic and institutional

capacity is key. The closure of Diageo has been a major

indicative proposals for the Diageo site by James Barr and BDP



spur to exploring the wider economic forces, and trends

that have impacted on the town and have resulted

in this study. However it will be important to follow

through on this over the next 10 years. There will be

a better chance of improving the town’s economic

fortunes if we capitalise on the interest that has been

shown by local people, business leaders and politicians

throughout this study. This group should act as a

steering group for the strategy and play a key role

structuring proposals for the Diageo site

in developing the branding strategy for Kilmarnock,

and representing the town’s interests to the Scottish

Government and other national interests. (point 4)

1.7 Focus on behavioural issues in/around bus station

+ Burns Mall – including methadone dispensing. This is

critically important to secure the actual and perceived

transformation required if the town centre is to be a safe

and convivial place for users of all ages – both in terms

of perception and reality. Local residents, from children

through to adults, are deterred from coming into the

town centre because of the atmosphere created by the

concentration of drug users who spend time around the bus

station and Burns Mall. Businesses believe that same issue is

having a negative impact on their trade.

The ultimate solution clearly involves reducing the demand

for methadone dispensing, a goal to which the Alcohol and

Drugs Partnership are working towards. In the meantime,

the existing efforts of community planning partners

(including the police, health authority and local authority)

to manage the methadone dispensing regime and related

behavioural issues should be prioritised.

1.8 Developing a clear economic strategy for

Kilmarnock – The report has highlighted the major changes

that have taken place in the national and local economy, and

the increased competition between places for investment

and jobs. We believe there is a strong case for developing a

clear economic strategy for East Ayrshire and in particular

Kilmarnock as its main town. A key aim of this strategy

would be to identify the potential growth sectors of the

future and what the town needs to do to secure them in

terms of skills, property and business support interventions.

It will be an essential bedrock for the development of

the branding and visioning strategy and would include

dimensions such as nurturing the core entrepreneurial,

customer-oriented spirit towards private/social enterprise


partners – with the aim of working in collaboration. it is

envisaged that the strategy would be integrated within the

Councils existing Community Plan

CaTEgory 2 ProjECTs: saFEgUarDIng ThE assETs

2.1 blue-green network

This proposal seeks to integrate the Kilmarnock Water,

residential neighbourhoods surrounding the town centre,

Howard Park and Kay Park as well as the Core Path network

and other footpath systems with the town centre. The

proposal is based on the idea that the Kilmarnock Water is

a considerably underused resource and one of the hidden

gems of Kilmarnock. The river could become an important

new focal point in the town centre and its improvement and

promotion could act as a catalyst for new development and

building conversions along Sandbed Street and to the rear of

Bank Street.

At the same time, a blue-green network of improved linkages

across the town could complement the major works involved

in converting the one-way system gyratory into a two-way

system. In this way, pedestrian networks could be linked

to new placemaking initiatives and proposals associated

with shared surfaces and pedestrian priority environments.

In turn, these placemaking initiatives could link to new

development proposals or building conversions in the

Conservation Area.

It is important that the blue-green network is not seen solely

as a movement network for people but is fundamentally a

placemaking catalyst which is also connected to the ecology

and habitat assets of the town.

The centrepiece of this network is the proposal to open up

the Kilmarnock Water to King Street by removing two shop

units which currently sit on the bridge over the watercourse

thus creating an exciting new urban space overlooking the

river.

Another important element of the blue-green network is

the ambition of improving connections between the town

centre and the Diageo site and this will involve rethinking

the pedestrian underpass beneath the station and also

civilising Hill Street through public realm and placemaking

improvements with linkages to the bus station through the

new civic space at Portland Street/Green Street.

2.2 other placemaking interventions

a) King Street /Titchfield Street

Simplifying the traffic management arrangements and

creating a shared space, low-speed environment allow the

urban design language introduced in the pedestrianised area

of King Street to the trafficked one, without significantly

compromising the traffic movements.

Our sketch illustrates a possible approach to the end of

Titchfield Street, removing the barriers and extending the

materials of the pedestrianised area across the junction to

mark the approach to the town centre, in contrast to the

anonymous piece of highway created by the existing barriers

and road markings.


2.1 Blue-green network

2.2 Rethinking streets and public space at the Palace

Theatre, Sturrock Street King Street and the Legal

Quarter

2.3-2.5 Extend conservation area and built heritage grant

schemes

2.6 A clean and well-maintained town centre

2.7-2.9 Extended events programme with specialist support,

Shop Local campaign, and temporary uses initiatives

for vacant premises

2.10 Collaboration and support for existing employers



b) Sturrock Street

Sturrock Street encapsulates some of the worst aspects of

the one-way system in terms of speed of traffic, unnecessary

width, redundant signage and at grade car parking. The

reversion of the one-way system to two-way will provide an

opportunity to narrow the carriageway, provide more space

for pedestrians and introduce street trees. In the longer

term, it would be advantageous to consider developing at

grade car parks in this area so that new development could

create new frontages onto Sturrock Street. King Street - proposal for new civic space over river

King Street - existing


green and blue network development

the King Street civic space from the bridge at Sandbed Street - before (above) and after (right)



Sandbed Street existing situation (right) and proposal for riverside cafe with public spaces and pedestrian priority street (below)


c) The Legal Quarter

The alterations to John Finnie Street discussed above include

changes to its junction with St Marnock Street which will

have a positive effect on the overall environment of what

has been described as the town’s Legal Quarter around the

Sheriff Court and the Police Station. There is an opportunity

to take a comprehensive approach to the treatment of this

area and this could include the car park off St Marnock Street

and Nelson Street. The aim of this would be to establish this

car park as a genuine civic and social space while retaining

its use for parking. These proposals might include additional

proposed improvements along Sturrock Street - existing (above) and proposed (below)



opportunities for small retail developments which would

look into the space, benefitting from car park users and

increased footfall.

d) The Palace Theatre Square

It was noted in the appraisal chapter that the dislocation

of the Palace Theatre from the town centre and its partial

submersion behind roads infrastructure with limited

accessibility represented an opportunity for positive change.

With changes to the one-way system it would become

possible to create a genuine civic space between the Palace

Theatre, the bus station and the Burns Mall, possibly opening

up the Mall to look over the new space. This new square

could also have a positive relationship with the Kilmarnock

Water and the parkland heading north from the space.

2.3 Continue to breathe new life into old buildings |

extend ThI and CARS beyond 2013

The character and quality of Kilmarnock’s built heritage

is one of the town’s most significant assets. Some vacant

properties have been so for a number of years impacting on

their neighbours and the general feel of the town centre.

Every encouragement should be given to owners to grant

short-term lets, possibly in association with the College

start-up programme suggested above, with property above

retail brought back into productive use as well as the more

obvious ground floor premises. The Council should consider

what further action it could take with recalcitrant landlords.

circa 1920s view along Duke Street to the Palace Theatre


Palace Theatre - proposed

Palace Theatre - existing



Buildings need constant care and attention if they are to be

conserved, quite apart from the more significant investment

needed to ensure that historic vacant and derelict buildings

which have fallen into disrepair are brought back into re-use.

The THI and CARS schemes have brought a number of key

buildings back into re-use over the last 3 years, through

intensive work with owners and other public agencies to

secure investment and refurbishment. Progress is well

advanced on a number of other buildings. The future of some

of these is likely to be secured before 2013, others will take

longer; and there are many other buildings where action

is required but work has not yet started. Much has been

achieved, and remains to be achieved, with a small team

of dedicated officers and associated resources. To stop the

scheme in 2013 would be to lose momentum in this vital task

of conserving and re-using the town’s built heritage, which

helps to meet the aspirations of conserving heritage and

bringing more business and residential vitality to the town

centre.

We therefore recommend that this important work is

continued beyond 2013, along with proposals 2.4 and 2.5.

2.4 Fund repair grants in Outstanding Conservation

Area

Beyond the re-use of critical historic buildings, there is also

a need for better, preventative upkeep of the town centre’s

stock of historic buildings. Experience shows that the

expense of arranging maintenance of rainwater goods and

roofs can be greatly reduced by organising this collectively

– sharing the cost of access to roofs and wall heads across

a number of building owners, say on a street or block basis.

This makes preventative maintenance more likely to happen.

The Council would need to take a proactive role to ensure

that this happens. This proposal is closely linked with 2.3 and

2.5

2.5 Continue to implement 2005 Town Centre Living

Initiative

This initiative, prepared by the Council in 2005, contains

many good proposals, which are closely integrated with the

THI/CARS project. Like that, good progress has been made

– but more remains to be done. Continued support would

help bring vitality to the town centre through bringing more

residents into the town centre. This proposal is closely linked

with 2.4 and 2.5

2.6 Extend high standards of cleaning + maintenance

throughout town centre public realm

Often the most basic things are the most important. Having

a clean and respectable town centre certainly came across

as being important during the consultation phases of our

work. The Council and its partners achieve high standards

of cleaning and maintenance in upgraded parts of the town

centre’s public realm. Consultation revealed an aspiration for

these standards to be extended across the town centre – all

part of the desire to make the town centre more attractive,

an important part of the overall package within this IUDP

of attracting more people, business and investment into the

town centre.

2.7 Extend events programme + appoint specialist staff

to implement, in partnership with local venues + groups

(e.g. Palace Theatre, Centre Stage)

The town has good venues and an active performing arts

sector. Young people in particular expressed a desire to see

more use made of indoor venues (such as the Palace Theatre)

and outdoor spaces for more frequent events. This would

not only bring more people into the town centre, but would

consolidate it as a focus for life in the town. Organising this

does not just happen, however: it takes time, resources and

energy. The town centre management function already does


much good work in this area and is an appropriate focus

for greater resources and time to develop and deliver an

extended programme.

2.8 Extend Shop Local campaign for Kilmarnock and

environs in partnership with local businesses

Encouraging more people from the town and surrounding

villages to shop in Kilmarnock, not least through raising

awareness of what the town has to offer, is important. The

ongoing work of the Kilmarnock Retail Trades Association

and the town centre manager should be supported to take

this forward.

2.9 Promote temporary uses of vacant retail units

The Council should work with landlords, community groups,

artists and local enterprises to secure temporary uses of

vacant units. There are now well-established models for

resolving any legal and financial issues with landlords around

temporary uses, and good examples of what can be achieved

can be seen through the government’s Meanwhile Spaces

initiative in England and Wales. Possible uses could include

space for new businesses, the arts, culture and community

– covering private, social and community enterprise. The

critical need is for the public sector to act as an enabler and

facilitator to promote and encourage these temporary uses,

which are entrepreneurial in the widest sense of the word.

2.10 Working with existing employers to support +

retain them

The strategy process highlighted the importance of retaining

the current employment base in the town and where possible

helping them to grow. Alongside the development of the

economic strategy, more needs to be done to understand

exactly who the local business base are, what their growth

ambitions are and the barriers that they face in meeting

them. This initial piece of analysis and engagement should

form the basis for developing, in partnership with local

companies, a targeted programme of business support ,

engagement and networking that works for local employers.

Projects like My Future’s in Falkirk offer good practice lessons

in terms of progressing more effective business engagement.

Category 3 Projects: joining it together


3.1 Channel investment demand into the town centre

wherever possible

3.2-3.3 Promote the area south of the town centre as a place

for business and enterprise, with an appropriate

design code

3.4 Continue to build Town Centre Trust Fund

3.5 Collaborative annual Kilmarnock futures forum to

monitor progress and explore future strategy

3.6 Develop learning and education

3.7 Young people’s discount card

3.8 Town centre creche

3.9 Local rates relief in parts of the town centre

3.10 Overall branding/visioning strategy for a range of

markets

3.1 Resist out-of-town retail, residential + intermediate

- sized commercial space that could be in the town

centre

Planning policy should be reviewed with the intention of



ensuring that all new development that can be in the town

centre is in the town centre. This will be a critical part of the

policy package of supporting and promoting the town centre

by channelling all possible investment into it – particularly

retail, leisure, hotels, apartments and small-medium sized

office space. Clearly, not all development can be channelled

into the town centre: but for the next ten years or so, the

intention should be to utilise sites in the town centre in

preference to new out-of-town sites.

3.2 Promote area to south of town centre for small-

scale private and social enterprise, including Belford Mill

social enterprise hub

The area east and west of Glencairn Street, to the south of

the town centre, offers opportunities for relatively cheap

land and buildings for private and social enterprises. At the

very least, planning policy should reflect this by promoting

the area as an area where enterprise and entrepreneurialism

will be actively supported - the implications being that (a)

planning policy should actively encourage colonisation

of this area by social and private enterprise and (b) public

sector partners should collaborate to promote this area for

these uses, including working with landowners and tenants

to encourage investment. This should build on the wide

range of existing private and social enterprise activities that

already colonise the area, many of them small organisations.

The area may also offer an opportunity to pilot innovative

funding measures mentioned in the Scottish Government’s

recent Regeneration Discussion Paper (February 2010).

3.3 A design code for the South Centre/Glencairn Area

The cohesive urban form of much of the centre of Kilmarnock

deteriorates in a southerly direction along Titchfield Street

and Glencairn Street. This is potentially an important area

as it relates closely to the river and to Hope Park. There are

development opportunities in this area which could assist

in underlining the blue-green network concept as well as

helping to improve the urban form of the area. A simple code

expressing some guidelines for building lines, positions of

walls, landscaping, the relationship with the river and the

park as well some of the heritage issues around Glencairn

Square would be constructive and useful.

3.4 Continue to build Town Centre Trust Fund

This Trust Fund was established by the Council in around

2005 as a repository for income from Section 75 agreements

etc which was to be used for the benefit of the town centre.

Such income should continue to be directed to the Trust Fund

as it becomes available.

3.5 Annual Kilmarnock Futures Forum to review

progress + explore future change: collaborative, open to

all

The detail of this plan will need to adapt to changing

circumstances. In line with the plan’s aspirations for

joint collaborative action to transform the town centre,

monitoring of progress and reflection should be undertaken

in an open, collaborative manner. If undertaken regularly,

for example through an annual public Futures Forum for the

town, this will help to build and maintain the spectrum of

support that is required for the plan to succeed.

3.6 Commit to developing a learning environment within

the town, drawing together schools, college and learning

organizations. The approach will be based on collaborative

action across the community that is designed to extend

young people’s experience, provide inspiration and achieve

the culture change that is the essential pre-requisite of

educational success. It covers the whole period from birth

(or even shortly before), through schooling and on into

lifelong learning.

3.7 Young people’s discount card

Cost of goods and services, from shops to leisure facilities,

is a barrier to young people. To enable young people to

make full use of what the town centre has to offer, and get

them into the habit of using and viewing the town centre


positively, there are a number of options for reducing cost

such as Young Scot and Spreebook discount/loyalty cards.

The Council should secure, extend and promote these

arrangements.

3.8 Encourage social/private enterprise to create

shoppers’/visitors’ crèche

This is an example of a specific need that arose through

consultation: a number of parents suggested that a creche

facility, centrally placed in the town centre, would encourage

to come into the town centre to shop and spend time. This

facility would most likely be a private or social enterprise in

the vicinity of the bus station or multi-storey car park, using

either existing floorspace or (in the longer term) new build

towards the viaduct.

3.9 Continue 2005 proposal to promote John Finnie St,

Bank St + Titchfield St for independent enterprises by

local rates relief

As in town centres throughout the country, overheads

such as rates are a significant cost for businesses. The

previous town centre strategy included a proposal to provide

local rates relief for independent enterprises, to support

businesses in fragile parts of the town centre. This remains

as relevant today as it was in 2005.

3.9 Develop overall branding/visioning strategy for

range of markets – including residents, visitors, investors,

businesses. This is a project being worked up by Make it

Kilmarnock in parallel. It is crucial that it is integrated into

the overall Plan, and that there are clear linkages in terms of

audiences, core messages, and levels of support, provision

and skills to ensure delivery – e.g. of an even more visitor

friendly town.



5 - b e n e f i t s

Following the actions of the Kilmarnock Integrated Devel-

opment Plan will bring a range of benefits, including the

following:

1. An integrated transformation of the town that will

combine, physical, economic and social benefits in

a co-ordinated manner

2. A contemporary, modernised core that draws

positively from the towns identity and physical and

historical attributes,

3. A positive improvement in overall user experience,

by putting people as the central priority, making it a

more attractive as family-friendly place for all ages

4. A transformation of the place that will support local

businesses, education and public agencies, provid-

ing a quality benchmark more able to attract and

hold residents, customers, visitors.

5. A shift in the image, brand and investment op-

portunities for Kilmarnock, both from internal and

external players

6. Opportunities for new enterprise, growing services,

and enhanced supply chain relationships within the

town

7. A skilled and work-ready population

8. A town centre that is better connected to its sur-

rounding communities, thereby strengthening

them as well as the whole town

9. Increased residential occupation in and around the

town centre core, rebuilding a sense of community

10. More efficient use of urban space for pedestrians

and vehicles, together with an enhanced sense of

safety and well-being.

11. A re-ordered and calmed movement system, with

an emphasis on the quality of the experience, not

simply speed of throughput.

12. A greater sense of pride in the quality and identity

of Kilmarnock, progressively enhancing its confi-

dence and wider competitiveness.

13. Commitment to deliver by different agencies,

organisations and groups in a common purpose,

generating a dynamic sense of purpose that builds

achievement in incremental steps.




6 - n e x t s t e p s

In taking the Integrated Urban development Plan forward

there are a number of actions involved. The review and

refinement ones are listed at the end, and the Proposal

activity is listed on the matrices below.

Priority organisational activity would, we suggest, be around

1. Evolving role for the Make it Kilmarnock Board –

based on an evolution of the Make it Kilmarnock model,

to continue to drive an integrated place-based renewal

strategy, drawing in the key public, private and political

representatives. This could involve Scottish Government

representation, if it becomes a key partner.

2. Annual Futures Forum – this is advocated as an

outward focusing communication and engagement

mechanism to local business, residents, civic groups and

players such as students, social enterprise and potential

investors (e.g. via agents, architects, etc). Aim is both to

advise on progress, and also to stimulate and guide new

projects in the right direction.

3. Resources – focussing income and funding through the

Town Centre Trust Fund created in 2005 (see section 3.4)

public realm in King Street


The full range of KIUDP projects is listed below, alongside the key actors, where known.

Category 1 projects: the big interventions

Ref No Project Title Agencies/ Lead (Support)

Timing

Early-0-1.

Mid, 1-3

Longer 3+

1.1 Diverse use planning policy EAC early

1.2 One way system interventions Level 1 EAC, (Transport Scotland, police,

developers)

early

1.3 Top of the Town proposals EAC, (private) early

1.4 Progress & implement Diageo site proposals Diageo, College, (EAC, SE, Scot Gov,

private)

early

1.5 College Campus MiK, EAC, SE, College, Scot Gov et al early

1.6 Developing role for the ‘Make it Kilmarnock’

Advisory Board

MiK, EAC, SE, College, Scot Gov et al early

1.7 Bus station behavioural issues EAC, SPT, Police, Stagecoach, NHS early

1.8 Economic strategy EAC, SE, Chamber early

Category 2 projects: safeguarding the assets

Ref No Project Title Agencies-Lead (Support) Timing

2.1 Blue –green network EAC, private, SG, SEPA, Ayrshire

Rivers Trust

early-long

2.2 Other place-making interventions EAC, (Transport Scotland,

developers)

early

2.3 Life into old buildings EAC (private, Heritage Lottery) early-mid

2.4 Conservation area repair grants EAC, Trust Fund, Town centre

Management

early-mid

2.5 Town centre Living Initiative EAC, landowners & developers

Town centre Management

early-mid

2.6 Cleansing and maintenance programme EAC, Town centre Management early-mid

2.7 Extend events programme EAC, Town centre Management early-mid

2.8 Extend Shop Local campaign EAC, Town centre Management early

2.9 Temporary uses initiative EAC, Town centre Management early-mid

2.10 Employers retention & support EAC, (SE, College, Chamber) early-mid



Category 3: Joining it Together projects

Ref No Project Title Agencies-Lead (Support) Timing

3.1 Resist out of town displacement EAC (private) early-long

3.2 Encourage small-scale private and social

enterprise to south of town centre

EAC, (SG, private) early-mid

3.3 Design Code for South Centre / Glencairn EAC early

3.4 Build Town Centre Trust Fund EAC, private early-long

3.5 Annual Kilmarnock Futures Forum MiK, EAC, Chamber et al early-long

3.6 Learning town approach MiK, College, (EAC, Chamber) early-long

3.7 Young people’s discount card MIK, town centre management mid-long

3.8 Social enterprise business support EAC, SE, social enterprise early-mid

3.9 Local rates relief – independents &start-ups EAC, (district valuer, SG) mid

3.10 Branding strategy MiK, EAC, (chamber) mid

Decisions have to be taken to focus resources on what

really matters in and around the town centre. It would be

potentially possible to prepare an Urban Development Plan

that contains detailed proposals for each neighbourhood of

Kilmarnock and potential future expansion areas, but this

would displace effort and investment, for less economic and

social return. There is a need for focussed connected action

on the town centre as the shared social and economic space

of the community, and avoid the great risk in spreading the

jam too thinly when resources are limited.

We consider the above listed projects provide an integrated

means of turning the town around through a series of

transformational steps.




a p p e n d i x 1 - l i s t o f c o n s u l t e e s

• the people of Kilmarnock

• A P Paint Supplies

• Bellway Scotland

• Burns Mall

• Centre Stage

• Create Communications

• CVO East Ayrshire

• David Faulds and Son Ltd

• Diageo

• Dick Institute

• East Ayrshire Council

• East Ayrshire North Communities Federation

• Easton Property

• Fanny by Gaslight

• Galleon Centre

• Goldberry Arms

• Grange Howard Community Council

• Heal the Earth Ayrshire

• Historic Scotland

• Hope Homes

• James Barr and Son

• James Hamilton Academy

• Kev’s Kards

• Kilmarnock Local History Society

• Kilmarnock South Elderly Forum

• Loanhead Primary School

• Killie Trust

• Kilmarnock Academy

• Kilmarnock College

• Kilmarnock Retail Trades Association

• Mahle Engineers

• Make it Kilmarnock Board



• Network Rail

• Rainbow Ink Co

• St Josephs Academy

• Scottish Enterprise

• Scottish Natural Heritage

• Sinforiani Brothers

• Skillseekers groups in Bellfield and New Farm Loch

• The Pet Shop

• Volunteer Centre East Ayrshire

• Young Scot



a p p e n d i x 2 - c o n s u l t a t i o n e l e m e n t s

This appendix identifies the approximately 500 people who

were consulted during the course of this study.

The first round of consultation began in November 2010,

and sought to engage range of people and organisations in

discussion about the issues and challenges that the study

should address.

Young people

Loanhead Primary School 8 November 2010 classroom session 20 people

Kilmarnock Academy 1 November 2010 Pupils Council 9 people

James Hamilton Academy 13 November 2010 assembly 120 people

St Joseph’s Academy 13 November 2010 focus groups 21 students

Kilmarnock College (Students Association) 8 November 2010 meeting 1 person

Skillseekers (Bellfield) 16 November 2010 focus group 11 people

Skillseekers (New Farm Loch) 23 November 2010 focus group 8 people

Workshops

Agency workshop1 24 November 2010 daytime workshop 29 people

Community workshop 30 November 2010 evening workshop 13 people

Business

Business discussion 25 November 2010 2 drop-in sessions 17 people

Kilmarnock Retail Trades Association 1 February 2011 evening session 19 people

Shoppers and town centre users

Burns Mall stall 11 December 2010 short interviews 54 people

Galleon Centre and Dick Institute questionnaires 11-31 December 2010 questionnaires 2 people

Young Scot infomobile at the Cross 13 January 2011 short interviews 155 people2

Disabled and elderly people

Kilmarnock South Elderly Forum January 2011 letter 1 person

1 included representatives from CVO East Ayrshire, East

Ayrshire Council (elected members, Arts and Culture, Asset

Management, Business Development, Community Planning,

Estates, Planning, Roads and Transportation), historic

Scotland, Killie Trust, Kilmarnock College, Kilmarnock Retail

Trades Association, Make it Kilmarnock, Network Rail,

Volunteer Centre East Ayrshire

2 80 of the 155 interviewed were young people, whose age

ranges are shown in the table overleaf.


stakeholder walkabout 23/11/2010 Loanhead Primary School workshop




The second round of consultation took place in March 2011,

in the form of two workshops. At these workshops, the draft

vision and proposals were presented and tested with people

drawn from a range of public, private and voluntary sector

organisations (as well as local residents) who had been

involved in the first round of consultation.

Daytime workshop 8 March 2011 35 people

Evening workshop 10 March 2011 12 people

age in years number of responses

11 1

12 11

13 8

14 8

15 5

total aged 11-15 33 responses

16 11

17 7

18 8

19 9

20 1


21

22 3

23 3

24 1

25 2


26

27

28 1

29

30 1


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Documents

EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL CABINET – 23 NOVEMBER 2011 ...docs.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/CRPADMMIN/2007 AGENDAS...development plan process. Once the MIR consultation responses have been fully