OFFICIALS at South Ayrshire Council are seeking approval to spend a six-figure sum looking at future options for the former Hourstons building in Ayr, a new report has revealed.

The move comes just weeks after the controversial plan for a new leisure centre at the site and the adjoining Arran Mall were dealt a final blow – and almost exactly three years since Hourstons, on Alloway Street, closed its doors for the last time.

A new report says that a planned feasibility study would cost a maximum of £150,000 – and that it would be limited to looking only at the Hourstons site, and not the Arran Mall.

READ MORE: Leisure centre plans axed - as scaled-down proposals dubbed 'a big puddle in a car park'

The report, which will be considered at a meeting of the council’s cabinet next week, states that “discussions regarding the purchase of the Arran Mall are ongoing” – though it was reported in December, when the leisure centre plans were axed, that the authority hasd already handed over a non-returnable deposit for the purchase of the Arran Mall.

Hourstons closed its doors on February 7, 2019 after 123 years in business, with the loss of 81 jobs, with managers saying changes in the way people do their shopping had left them with no option but to shut down.

The new report also says that the feasibility study exercise should be extended to include an update to the strategy and action plan for Ayr town centre – after a Conservative minority administration seized power from the SNP at last year’s local government elections.

READ MORE: Heartbreak at Hourstons as much-loved Ayr store closes after 123 years (from 2019)

Dumping the leisure centre plans was a key plank of the Conservatives’ election manifesto, with the party’s local candidates promising to focus instead on refurbishing the Citadel Leisure Centre after the plans for Hourstons and the Arran Mall ended up more than £40 million over budget.

In alternative budget plans put forward in 2021, when the SNP was still in power, the Conservative group said they would prefer to see housing built behind the Hourstons building, believing that would bring more footfall to the High Street than a swimming pool.

In October of last year Cllr Martin Dowey, leader of the new Conservative administration, denied accusations the party had sought to pull the plug on the leisure centre plans without having an alternative in place, insisting that "we have plans and will be in a position to bring them forward very soon".

In a knife-edge vote in October councillors backed a bid to drop the leisure centre plan and instigate a feasibility study for the Hourstons site - but only after Provost Ian Campbell used his casting vote in support of the Conservatives' proposals.

READ MORE: Council's leader accuses SNP of 'rewriting history' over new Ayr leisure centre plans

The new report says: “Given the recent announcement by the UK Government that the council’s bid for money from the UK Levelling Up Fund was unsuccessful, and that discussions regarding the purchase of the Arran Mall are ongoing, it is proposed to limit the feasibility study to the properties that the council already owns, i.e. the former Hourstons site.

“To facilitate the feasibility study, there is a requirement to appoint a design team to undertake the required roles.”

The report recommends that an ‘invitation for strategic support services’ be submitted to Hub South West to carry out the work.

READ MORE: Tories' bid to dump leisure centre plan is backed after tightest of votes 

It adds: “It is also proposed that the remit of this exercise is extended to include an exercise to update the Ayr Town Centre Strategy and Action Plan to reflect the [minority Conservative] administration’s aspirations for Ayr town centre.

“The cost of Strategic Support Services will be capped at a maximum of £150,000.

“It is proposed that the costs will be funded from an allocation from the residual leisure centre budget.”

The council’s cabinet will consider the report at a meeting on Wednesday, February 15.