Site of former historic Kilmarnock building to be turned into car park

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The site of a former historic Kilmarnock building is to be transformed into a car park.The B-listed Conservative Club building was badly damaged in a fire in December 2020 and had to be pulled to the ground for safety reasons shortly after.Now the footprint of the once iconic structure will house 12 public car park spaces.Ayrshire Roads Alliance had an application for 11 bays and one accessible spot approved by East Ayrshire planners this week.Vehicle access to the new site will be from the existing Salvation army car park on Sturrock Street.A report compiled last summer said the building was in "significantly poor" condition and that the structure "constituted a major threat to the safety of the public."Built in 1887 the predominantly blonde ashlar sandstone had links with the eminent businessman John Finnie – his daughter laid the foundation stone – and was designed by the well-known Scottish Architect Robert Samson Ingram who was born in Kilmarnock.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.Justification for the demolition of the building read on the application: "The building had been extensively damaged by a fire which had burnt through the roof structure and caused sections of floors throughout the building to collapse."There was also a large amount of settlement to the rear elevation.