South Ayrshire Local Plan

Public Transport

The existing public transport system, based on bus and rail services is focused on Ayr and Prestwick with bus services being the most widely used form of public transport within the area. Rail services tend to serve the wider area, with a more limited local network of lines and stations.

Bus services provide a valuable link between different settlements within South Ayrshire but, like other forms of road borne transport, are subject to the delays of road congestion. This can be eased by ensuring public transport takes priority in particular areas, but such action is not appropriate in all circumstances, and the influence of the Council on the actions of bus operators is limited. Rail transport is not subjected to such restrictions, although the existing infrastructure in terms of track, stations and services is currently fairly limited. It is considered that there is considerable scope for increasing the value of rail travel within, and outwith, South Ayrshire, especially where this can be linked to large scale development proposals. In this regard, there are opportunities to encourage public transport provision in terms of greenfield housing sites, main industrial locations and tourist attractions, or for park and ride facilities to reduce the use of private cars within town centres. The Council will seek the co-operation of public transport operators, the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive and private developers to achieve improvements to the public transport network.

POLICY SERV6^

The Council will encourage the expansion and use of the public transport network, and in particular will favourably view the provision of a park and ride facility to serve Ayr/Prestwick. The Council will promote and encourage greater use and expansion of the existing rail network, especially where this includes the provision of additional rail halt facilities to serve:

a) Ayr Hospital
b) The Heathfield area, Ayr

NOTE It is anticipated that feasibility studies for the provision of new rail halt and park and ride facilities may be required.

In order to ensure that currently operational transport facilities continue to contribute to the provision of a public transport service, the land which they use and require for operation will be protected from loss to other uses.

POLICY SERV7^

The Council will seek to ensure that land in operational public transport use is retained and will resist proposals for their loss to an alternative use unless it can be demonstrated to the Council that the public transport facility use is redundant and that its loss would not reduce the extent or qualitative provision of the public transport service in South Ayrshire.