Auchinleck homes: Plans passed for former Railway Hotel site

The Railway Hotel served its last customers in September 2020, and the hotel, bar and restaurant, which had been hugely popular with locals, lay empty until it was eventually demolished in March last year.

The Main Street venue was a popular venue for dinners, parties and celebrations.

Demolition of the site took place last year. (Image: NQ Archive)

A 'prior notification for demolition' notice for the building, lodged with East Ayrshire Council (EAC) shortly before demolition work began, indicated that the land was being considered for a new housing development.

A formal planning application was lodged with local authority officials earlier this year to build 17 homes on the site, and this has now been approved.

The application was been lodged by LMA Architects on behalf of Cumnock-based Campbell Homes Ltd.

Campbell Homes has also recently been granted approval to build 28 new homes off Catrine Road in Sorn, while work is also continuing on the firm's development of 156 properties off Rigg Road in Cumnock.

The Auchinleck development is set to stretch from the Main Street boundary to School Road and, as well as the former hotel site, would occupy land which was formerly home to Auchinleck Primary before the school moved to its current home in nearby Dalshalloch Road.

Plans consist of seven three-bedroom bungalows, one of them with an integral garage, as well as two semi-detached bungalows, each with two bedrooms, and eight three-bedroom, two-storey, semi-detached homes.

The planned layout of the the houses. (Image: East Ayrshire Council)

According to the plans, an access road to the housing development would be created on Main Street, close to the entrance road for The Railway Hotel.

A supporting statement lodged with the approved planning application says: "The four house types will all use a similar palette of materials. 

"The proposed road pattern has been designed to tie in with the surroundings. It is proposed that Newton Avenue be extended, and a new perpendicular residential street be created.

"Footpaths are provided, and new pedestrian links are proposed to connect the new development with existing footpaths."

The supporting statement also says that 'green corridors' along the School Road side will be created by maintaining existing greenery and to avoid overlooking between properties.