Absentee owner fails in bid to stop demolition of fire-hit hotel

A COURT has ruled that demolition can continue at Ayr’s abandoned and fire-ravaged Station Hotel.

The ruined building’s absentee owner, business tycoon Sunny Ung also known as Eng Haut Ung, had taken South Ayrshire Council to court over the demolition of the building.

The Malaysian businessman reportedly accused the council of demolishing the hotel without giving him proper notice following a devastating fire in September last year.

However, a judge ruled in favour of the council. It issued a statement saying: “The Court of Session has agreed that the safety works can continue on site. We will continue to provide works progress updates.”

Train services through the station remain suspended and most of the southern section of the hotel, which was which suffered the worst damage in September’s fire, has already been demolished.

South Ayrshire Council said it had to knock down part of the northern section, including the tower, due to safety concerns.

The local authority has been demolishing the building under Section 29 of the Dangerous Buildings (Scotland) Act, which gives the council powers to pull down a site in the interest of public safety.

Ung bought the hotel in 2010 for £750,000. It closed in 2013.

In November it was reported that the local authority’s chief executive, Mike Newall, said the council had “made numerous attempts to contact him”.

The council said Ung “doesn’t accept any correspondence” and hadn’t been in touch with the council at all prior to the start of the demolition.

It was also reported in 2021 that Ung owed South Ayrshire Council £1.2 million for work carried out on the building. Trains through the station were also halted in 2018 when a dangerous building notice was issued and the former hotel was wrapped in a protective scaffolding.