Residents and business owners in Maybole have joined together to show their support for ambitious plans to transform the area. Maybole Community Council's 'Maybole Regeneration' (MR) project aims to create an attractive, safe and sustainable town centre.
Maybole's Outstanding Conservation Area was designated in 1974 and there are now more than 40 listed buildings in the town centre. When the new town bypass opens in 2020 it is forecast that the volume of cars travelling through the town centre will drop by 50% and HGVs by up to 95%, providing a unique opportunity to make a change.
A £456,000 development phase is currently underway to bring together a business case to improve the town centre. This will, in turn, inform a £6million regeneration project planned for Maybole High Street including the Town Hall, Castle and Charity Shop. This phase was made possible through the support of The Heritage Lottery Fund, South Ayrshire Council, Ayrshire Leader and the North Carrick Community Benefit Company.
The development phase is now well underway with a drop-in session and public meeting held for the community recently. More than 50 people came along to be part of the discussions around Maybole Regeneration, with the sessions designed to gain a better understanding of what residents and property owners want to achieve.
Mark Fletcher, Chair of Maybole Community Council said, "Faced with a once in a generation opportunity to transform Maybole town centre it's important that we get the plans right first time, and the local community will play a key role in making that happen.
"The feedback we had at the recent public sessions was invaluable, and we're now looking to use that information to help inform the work going on behind the scenes to bring this ambitious project to life.
"There's still a lot of hard work to do but the public reaction has been really positive, and I'm confident we'll all soon see visible signs of progress."
Claire Monaghan, South Ayrshire Council's Head of Communities said, "We're committed to making life better for our communities and the Maybole Regeneration project is a great example of a positive partnership working for the greater good.
"With the volume of traffic going through Maybole set to dramatically decrease in the next few years it's exciting to see people coming together to discuss new ways of breathing life into the town centre.
"Once the planning phase is completed, work will begin in earnest to create a lasting legacy for the local community."