Galston's regeneration enters new phase
Many of Galston Town Centre's historic buildings have been undergoing extensive renovations since the foundation of the Galston Community Development Trust (GCDT) and the start of an extensive Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) in 2013.
Some of the town's precious old buildings, including the Portland, Buck's Head Inn and the Principal Cafe have been extensively refurbished and more are currently being worked on.
The grant funding for these projects has come from Historic Environment Scotland and East Ayrshire Council, which has allowed building owners to carry out sympathetic repairs using appropriate, long lasting materials.
At the same time, structural faults in the former Co-op building came to light which necessitated its demolition. In order to carry out the demolition, undertaken by Reigart Contracts Ltd, we had to partially restrict traffic flow in Bridge Street, shut a short section of Cross Street, put diversions in place and relocate the Local Office to Galston Library.
The fabric of the Co-op building was demolished and the site cleared. And bright new plans have been drawn up to show what the centre of Galston will look like.
We held a public consultation on our future plans for the area. On 6 February 2019 the new plans for the site were approved by our Cabinet.
We hope that while the regeneration work is being carried out, everyone will continue to show their support for traders by shopping local.
This page provides regular news and updates on the progress of these plans and the future development of Galston Town Centre.
Update
We've now approved this very exciting new plan for Galston. We provided two options for people to choose from in our public consultation. Option 1, which included the upgrading of the library within the former Town Hall and the building of a brand new, architecturally sympathetic, retail unit was the successful choice.
Option 1
- refurbish the Former Town Hall and move the Library to the first floor of the building
- form a more open Contact Centre, including an IT suite for the Library
- build a new retail unit on the corner site with a landscaped space between it and the Town Hall
We held a "thank you" party at the newly opened Portland building to celebrate the completion of the CARS projects. Read all about Galston CARS success.
Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS)
Galston's Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme first started to take shape in 2013 and several projects, including the Buck's Head and the Principal Cafe, have enjoyed extensive renovations thanks to the grant funding which made uneconomic but essential repairs possible. Local building companies, with specialist craftsmen, have been undertaking the contracts, providing skilled jobs and breathing new life into buildings and the local economy. More projects are currently underway. Read about some of the successes:
We've accumulated a timeline of the progress made since the Co-op building demolition started. And some of those images are here:
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