Around £230,000 Spent on Scrapped Ayr Care Village Plans

South Ayrshire Council has confirmed that around £230,000 was spent developing plans for the now-abandoned Care Village project at the Hourstons and Arran Mall site in Ayr.

Photo: ADN

The Council revealed the figure following an enquiry from Ayrshire Daily News, confirming that the money was used for initial design work and site surveys when the Care Village proposal was being explored.

A Council spokesperson said: “Since 2019 a range of options all focussing on boosting footfall in Ayr Town Centre have been put forward for the Arran Mall & Hourstons sites.

“Around £230k has been spent on initial design works when a Care Village was being investigated. This work and surveys carried out on the sites will however help to progress the current plans to either sell the land to a developer or work with one to build a mix of housing in the heart of Ayr to help regenerate the town centre.”

The Care Village proposal, first unveiled in 2019, aimed to transform the site into a £30 million development featuring care facilities, offices, and community spaces. However, the Council confirmed at the end of last month (October 2025) that the project is no longer viable due to a lack of funding.

Despite the project being scrapped, officials say the design work and surveys completed as part of the Care Village planning will inform future redevelopment of the site, which is now being considered for new housing.