King Street Fire update 17 July

Demolition Phase 1 - King Street elevation

This commenced on Thursday afternoon and whilst the front elevation was straightforward, the side elevation is less so, requiring some aspects to be undertaken by hand. Indicative timescales suggest that this will be completed by Friday evening. When Phase 1 has been completed, it is hoped that the exclusion zone can be reduced in preparation for reopening the street to the public.

When Phase 1 has been completed, utility companies will be given access to all of the affected properties to reinstate power and water supplies. This will take some time and cannot commence until after the demolition.

Before any reopening, ARA will conduct a full and comprehensive street safety inspection including repairs to lamp posts and road surfaces which have been damaged during the incident.

It is hoped that King Street will reopen soon after the completion of Phase 1 demolition and utility checks of all affected premises. Thereafter it will be up to individual retailers to determine when they can safely resume business. The Farmers Market scheduled for Saturday morning can go ahead as planned, with additional traffic management in place.

All affected businesses in the demolished building can apply for £10k grant assistance from East Ayrshire Council. Other affected neighbouring businesses may be eligible for a £3k grant. Full details will be launched next week, but businesses are encouraged to register interest as soon as possible.

Demolition Phase 2 - Gable end and rear of building at Sandbed Street

Demolition machinery will move to Sandbed Street late Monday evening or early Tuesday morning under police escort. Timescale for these works TBC.

Police

Police Scotland have confirmed this is no longer a crime scene.