Plan to remove iconic Kilmarnock clock given green light

The structure at the top of John Finnie Street, below the train station, had previously been branded a 'blight' after councillors voted to remove it last year.

A maintenance budget for the site totalling thousands of pounds every year was scrapped seven years ago as part of cuts to the council's budget.

Planning permission was lodged in October to remove the clock and replace it with soft landscaping, to match what already surrounds the structure. 

A heritage report created by Wylie Shanks Architects had found that the clock provides "little or no historical significance" to the town or its residents. 

It states: "It clutters the embankment and detracts from the more significant train station with its Italianate tower marking the top of John Finnie Street.

"The clock is currently broken. It was last repaired in August 2019 with the repair lasting around three months. 

"The repairs and ongoing maintenance are not economically viable. There is no budget available and maintenance over the last nine years has cost £107,478. 

"The clock provides little public benefit whilst it is not operational and requires significant funds for maintenance. 

"It is not required as a focal point for the north end of the street as the train station is of greater physical and historical significance."

Planning officials at East Ayrshire Council approved the application earlier this month with conditions attached, including that landscaping should be completed within three months of the clock's removal. 

Planning documents stated: "The proposal for the removal of a ‘modern’ decorative clock and provision of landscaping within the application site will not have an adverse impact on the character and setting of the built historic environment.

"The proposal will remove a run down and non-operational ‘modern’ clock from the locale and replace with natural landscaping.

"Whilst it is acknowledged that the clock and its setting is prominent in the locale, its removal will not have a detrimental adverse impact on the streetscene, noting that the clock is essentially a relatively modern feature.

"The proposed development is designed to retain the function of the site as a landscaped area without detracting from the visual impact of views of the historic railway station."