South Ayrshire Local Plan

Housing In Town Centres

The existing housing provision within town centres contributes to the variety of sizes and tenures of residential properties within easy access of a range of facilities and services. Such properties assist in reducing the need to travel and are also regarded as offering an important source of affordable accommodation.

The continued use of town centre properties for housing reduces the need for greenfield housing development and contributes to the level of vitality and viability of their locality and may also assist with passive surveillance and crime prevention, particularly outwith shopping hours.

The development of new dwellings in town centres represent opportunities for similar benefits to those identified for existing premises, and may also assist in the upgrading or redevelopment of vacant, or derelict sites - especially when forming part of a mixed use development scheme.

POLICY H17

Within town centres, the Council will presume in favour of retaining dwellings, especially where such dwellings are located above ground floor and will normally permit the conversion/development of properties to provide dwellings subject to compliance with policy RET4 and RET5, townscape considerations, the provision of an acceptable residential amenity, and the proposed dwelling(s) having access gained not solely through business or retail premises.