Station Hotel no easy fix

Week after week I read in the Post ill- informed comment regarding the situation on the Ayr Station Hotel and South Ayrshire Council’s action with regard to this building which it does not own.

Could I recommend that anyone wishing to avail themselves of the current situation should please check out the council’s web site that gives a full and frank weekly update on the actions being taken by Scot rail and the council.

It should be remembered that the Station Hotel was purchased by a foreign investor or speculator in 2012 who has since completely ignored several requests from the council to address this huge problem in the centre of Ayr.

To date this has cost the council £ 500,000 .

Some people suggest that a Compulsory purchase order should be undertaken, but this has to be done with a valuators’ estimate of the value of the property, a lot of expensive legal work, in addition compensation has to paid to the current owner at huge cost to the council – the result of which the current owner gets away scot free and the council is left with a building which it has no use for.

It seems to me there should be uk- wide legislation which would prevent any overseas speculator from purchasing land or property in the uk unless they have lodged a legally binding Bond or Security guaranteeing the ultimate maintenance or completion of any major development, which they plan, within a strict time limit of two years.

Alec Oattes, Lindston Place, Ayr