MSP blasts eyesores
A MSP has branded derelict buildings in New Cumnock an“eyesore”.
South Scotland Conservative MSP Sharon Dowey is calling on the Scottish Government to accelerate plans to give councils more powers to deal with abandoned plots.
Meeting with residents earlier in the week as part of her‘summer street surgery tour’, many locals raised the issue of derelict buildings in the town some even on their own streets - with Mrs Dowey.
The politician believes that with the right legislation in place, these buildings could be bought and turned into new homes.
However, new rules for Compulsory Sales Orders (CSO) which were meant to be brought in during the last session of the Scottish Parliament have been shelved.
A number of options still exist for the community, but by empowering councils with new CSO powers, Mrs Dowey believes the process of regenerating these buildings would be sped up.
She said:“It’s a real shame to see such rundown buildings in New Cumnock. Not only are they dangerous, with local kids playing nearby, they also present a health risk as well as being an eyesore.
“Nobody wants to have derelict houses on their street and I completely sympathise with locals who say enough is enough.
“East Ayrshire Council need to engage with locals to find a solution here, but the Scottish Government have hardly helped by scrapping their proposed Compulsory Sales Order Bill in 2019, despite it being a manifesto commitment.”
She continued:“I’ve lodged several questions with the Scottish Government, pressing them for an update on the proposed Bill but we cannot allow for important pieces of legislation like this to just get kicked down the road.
“It leaves communities like New Cumnock in the lurch and that’s simply not good enough.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said they were “committed”to strengthening compulsory purchase powers for local authorities and introducing new compulsory sale orders.
The spokesperson added:“We are developing these proposals in the context of policies set out in the Housing to 2040 route map to tackle empty homes and vacant and derelict land.”
And a spokesperson for East Ayrshire Council said they were working with a number of community organisations across East Ayrshire to find “community-led solutions”to address the issue of derelict buildings.
The spokesperson added:“In New Cumnock, with funding from the town centre regeneration fund, New Cumnock Development Trust purchased the former Castle Hotel building and is in the process of exploring how the facility could be converted into a community facility which could also provide accommodation for visitors to the area.”