Kilmarnock Town Board

11 March 2025

Long-term plan for towns

In 2023, the UK Government pledged £1.1 billion of funding for 55 towns under their initiative Long-Term Plan for Towns (LTPT).

Kilmarnock, along with six other Scottish towns – Irvine, Greenock, Clydebank, Coatbridge, Dumfries and Moray – has been allocated £20 million to be spent supporting community led regeneration at a rate of £2 million per year over the next 10 years.

Each town will have a Long-Term Plan drawn up by a new Town Board, working alongside the UK Government’s High Street and Towns Taskforce and with support from East Ayrshire Council.

The Kilmarnock Town Board has an independent chair and representatives from various sectors including:

community and business leaders
local councillors
employers
business representatives and
our local Member of Parliament (MP)

The Kilmarnock Town Board aims to prioritise the wellbeing, prosperity, people and the environment of our town.

By fostering partnerships with those who live, work, and invest in Kilmarnock, The Board will be dedicated to driving positive change in Kilmarnock and enhancing the quality of life for all residents.

The Board builds on the good work already happening in Kilmarnock including:

the Council’s Kilmarnock Strategic Vision - Council report 15 December 2022 (PDF 2.20 MB)
Celebrate Kilmarnock’s Common Agenda
projects taking place across the town such as:
- Kilmarnock Green Infinity Loop (East Ayrshire Leisure)
- redevelopment of the Palace Theatre and Grand Hall and Cultural Kilmarnock (Video on Vimeo.com)
- the recent Kilmarnock Christmas Festival and
- the upcoming Robert Burns Mural (East Ayrshire Council Newsroom)

Long-term plan themes for towns

The LTPT sets out three broad investment themes, underlining that activity should be driven by the needs and aspirations of local communities.

The three themes are:

High streets, heritage and regeneration

Strategic priorities are:

towns will be able to use this funding to enhance their town centres, making them and their buildings more accessible to residents, businesses and visitors
interventions could include:
- repurposing vacant department stores
- creating and maintaining parks and green spaces
- supporting high street cleaning projects
- new markets/high street days
- establishing Business Improvement Districts
- supporting skills and community development

Safety and security

Strategic priorities are:

interventions aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour in town centres
to include new and improved security infrastructure, such as:
- CCTV and street lighting
- additional hotspot policing and community wardens
- diversionary activity
- support for community outreach facilities

Transport and connectivity

Strategic priorities are:

funding to be used to develop:
- sustainable transport options
- linking different parts of the town with new infrastructure
- safe ways in which people can walk or cycle into the centre
- ensuring public transport options are viable and attractive
investment to be used alongside other themes to ensure that transport options create positive economic and/or wellbeing outcomes

View the Council Report – 29 February 2024: Our Long-Term Plan for Towns - Kilmarnock (PDF 957 KB)

Meet the Kilmarnock Town Board

Members of the Kilmarnock Town Board and their biographies are listed below:

Dr Fiona McKenzie OBE, Founder of Centrestage Communities Ltd (Chair)
Lillian Jones, MP
Rev David Cameron, Minister, New Laigh Kirk, Kilmarnock and Convener, Assembly Trustees of the Church of Scotland
Peter Telfer, Managing Director, Urquhart's Opticians, representing the Kilmarnock Business Association
Billy Bowie, Managing Director, Billy Bowie Special Projects Ltd
Colin Blair, Director, Buzzworks Property Group Ltd
Councillor Douglas Reid, East Ayrshire Council
Councillor Barry Douglas, East Ayrshire Council
Suzue Chow, Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent, Ayrshire Division
Eddie Fraser, Chief Executive, East Ayrshire Council
Angela Cox, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Ayrshire College
Chris McPhail, Managing Director at Microtech Group
Lynne McNiven, Director of Public Health at NHSAA
Craig Hume, Director at Utopia Computers