Roads around fire-hit Ayr hotel closed until January

Road and rail closures around the derelict Station Hotel in Ayr are set to continue until January.

The station has been out of use since a fire in September gutted the building, leaving it unsafe.

South Ayrshire Council said part, or all, of the building may need to be demolished after the hotel was extensively damaged in the blaze.

It has now announced that there will be free parking in the city centre from Sunday until 7 January.

Drone pictures of the hotel show the extensive damage caused by the fire

This is in a bid to help businesses in the area and to encourage people to come back into the town.

• Residents fear fire-hit hotel will be demolished

• Commuters hit by station hotel fire

Small grant packages are now also being made available for the businesses most affected.

Three boys, two aged 13 and one aged 17, have been charged with wilful fireraising.

The fire, on 25 September, was the second at the hotel in four months after a previous incident in May.

The fire was the second at the station in two months

The council has so far been unable to contact the hotel's owner, who lives in Malaysia.

The work involved has been described by the council as "complex" but it said it was too soon to say if demolition was needed.

Vital work has already been carried out to protect a gas main and other utilities on and around the bridge, as well as power lines at the station.

Station Road Bridge and roads surrounding the station are expected to reopen on 10 January.

No trains have been running through Ayr Station since the fire, with replacement bus services being provided.

Alana Harte is concerned about the impact of the closures on businesses in the town

Alana Harte who owns Nanny Mary's Diner, opposite the station hotel, told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live programme the closures were "crippling businesses".

"There's no trains running, the buses are in chaos, the traffic is in chaos, businesses are getting crippled," she said." It's not just the top of the town, it's the whole town. Everyone is affected by this.

"The council need to tell us what is happening with the building. It's devastating to everybody."

Ms Harte added that the fire in May should have been a "warning sign" to the council to put steps in place to ensure it did not happen again.

"We are going to be hit really hard," she said. "Christmas is round the corner. We depend on people coming to Ayr to buy their presents, come in and have a coffee, a bite to eat - supporting the local businesses.

"We are not going to get that this year."

She also fears businesses will have to close.

"There are going to be a lot of people out of work," she said. "Businesses cannot sustain having no footfall, no commuters and roads shut."

South Ayrshire Council leader Martin Dowey said: "Ensuring public safety is at the forefront of our concerns. This means that temporary road closures at Ayr train station and Station Bridge Road are essential to keep everyone safe during the ongoing safety works.

"A key objective is to get both rail and road transport moving again as soon as possible, however, with the closures expected to last until around 10th January, I want local retailers to know that the council is here to support them."

He said the council was planning a range of additional festive activities to help drive the footfall into Ayr town centre and support local businesses in the run-up to Christmas.

And he added: "We've also been working hard behind the scenes on specific business support grants for shops and businesses in the immediate area of the closures that are severely impacted."

The derelict hotel has been wrapped in protective scaffolding since a dangerous building notice was issued in 2018

Designed by the noted Scottish engineer Andrew Galloway, Ayr Station Hotel originally catered for an affluent clientele holidaying on the coast when it opened in 1855.

In more recent years, it has held parties and weddings as well as being a key landmark for commuters in the town centre.

The hotel fell into disrepair after its "absentee owner" failed to maintain the building or respond to enforcement action.

In 2018, a dangerous building notice was issued and the former hotel was wrapped in a protective scaffolding.

Locals have said the Victorian listed building holds memories for many - but has been an eyesore for years.