Unite to solve rails aga

The Structural Engineers Report showed that the state of the area in Network Rail (NR) ownership was almost as bad as the Hotel part.

A total of £10m is needed to put the whole complex into a wind and watertight state as a whole. Probably the same amount again is now required to fully conserve and redevelop it to economically viable purposes.

We hope it would give an elegant impressive outcome.

Network Rail are about to spend part of what they should have spent long ago. They have still not said they will spend the £2m saved for better access for passengers who currently have to carry cases up a lot of stairs, across a bridge and down.

However, they do indicate imminent spending on long neglected passenger and staff services at Platform 1 and at the back behind Platform 4 respectively. This leaves the hotel as is.

The funding of this is the issue. There is a feasibility study going on. It was not given a Conservation or Environmental remit, both essential. So far there is no financial commitment from government or anyone to the hotel.

Network Rail appear to have assumed that demolition would come, without considering the timescale for demolition, the disruption to the town centre, the Townscape or traffic routes.

The financial costs of all this with demolition alone estimated at over £4m and a new Station at £15m to £20m, would probably be more than the cost of a really top class restoration and changed uses of the hotel part of the building.

After all this the people of Ayr want the beautiful building restored, redeveloped to current needs, thus putting back the wonderful gateway to Ayr. We also expect all the usual Railway amenities. It is up to all the parties to quickly resolve the difficulties and deal with this.

Esther Clark , chair Ayr Station Hotel Community Action