Council to explore options for new commercial units to encourage economic growth
East Ayrshire Council will commission feasibility studies to determine the potential for creating new commercial and industrial developments in Auchinleck, Newmilns and Kilmarnock.
The proposal to allocate £100,000 towards these studies was recently approved at Cabinet.
The supply of high-quality business and industrial land and premises is an important element of East Ayrshire’s approach to supporting economic growth and attracting investment. However, recent market evidence suggests that there is a substantial gap between development costs and completed property values in East Ayrshire, which currently limits the scope for speculative private-sector development. It is not currently commercially viable for the private sector to invest in commercial build for business and industrial premises.
The proposal agreed at Cabinet will see the Council attempting to address this concern by providing fit-for-purpose investment-ready industrial parks and business premises. The Ayrshire Growth Deal Ayrshire Innovation Park at Moorfield is one project currently in delivery which seeks to address this.
Three sites are currently being considered as part of this proposal. The former Auchinleck Academy site, which is in Council ownership. Coalfields Regeneration Trust and the 9 Community Councils (9CC) are exploring opportunities for a joint venture on this site with the Council for business and industrial use – specifically for a local enterprise hub, offering affordable, flexible workspace for small to medium sized businesses, social enterprises and start-ups.
In Newmilns, Newmilns Regeneration Association (NRA) are exploring options for the former Vesuvius site with assistance from the Council. This site has been used for industry since the early 1960s when Vesuvius started making crucibles in Brown Street, Newmilns.
In Kilmarnock, the proposal will consider options for further expanding the site of the Ayrshire Innovation Park at Moorfield, which is currently under development with significant commercial interest being expressed for the units prior to construction.
Leader of East Ayrshire Council, Councillor Douglas Reid said:
“We very much welcome these proposals. East Ayrshire has a lot to offer investors as a business location, but we need high-quality affordable premises to attract these investors in the first place.
“And I’m delighted that we will be working in partnership with our communities to explore commercial build opportunities for these three sites, which will bring significant benefits for local people.
“Through continued investment in business and industrial premises we can facilitate and enable the readjustment of the market in Ayrshire and I very much look forward to receiving the results from the feasibility studies in due course.”
The studies will be completed during 2027 and will provide recommendations on preferred development options, indicative costs, delivery arrangements, viability and funding opportunities. No commitment has been made at this stage to a particular ownership, partnership or delivery model. The findings will be reported to Cabinet in due course.
Commercial Industrial Units Brief - Auchinleck, Newmilns and Kilmarnock.pdf