South Ayrshire Local Plan

Office Employment

Traditionally, Ayr has been the business and administrative centre for the surrounding area, and as such, contains the majority of office provision within South Ayrshire. Specialist office and business districts have become well established in providing a focus for this type of activity and contribute to the overall vitality of these areas.

As with other sectors of the economy, the office/business sector is subject to changes in work practices. For example, the growth in large scale offices providing a service on a national scale, the increasing use of information technology and the trend towards more flexible open plan office layouts has led to a demand for modern purpose built office floorspace. The Council is concerned that there should be a supply of office floorspace which is capable of meeting the requirements of modern business needs and will encourage the development of new floorspace in appropriate locations.

In common with most sectors of the economy, locating employment activity within towns enables labour to be drawn from the local area, and ensures easy access by public transport. Whilst the preferred location for office development is in town centres, or edge of centre locations, (for reasons of access, infrastructure and the need to support town centre viability), industrial or business parks around Ayr, Prestwick and Troon may also be suitable locations for this type of use.

STRATEGIC POLICY OFF1#

Class 2 office development will be directed to the peripheral retail area of town centres, and neighbourhood centres as identified on the Proposals Map.

Ayr's Office District

Many of the existing office premises have become established within the Miller Road, Barns Crescent and Wellington Square areas of Ayr, with the location now recognised as a focal point for this type of activity. In light of this, and to create confidence in the continued support of office provision within this core area, it is considered appropriate to allow for the conversion or extension of property to form such accommodation, subject to other policy provisions of the Plan. However, in order to ensure the character of the area is maintained, it is considered important to restrict proposed change of uses to preclude changes from office to general retail uses. In this regard an appropriate legal agreement or condition may be required prior to approval for a change of use to offices, in order that the area is not used for retail purposes.

POLICY OFF2

Changes of use from dwellinghouse to class 2 office, or office to dwellinghouse will normally be permitted.