Residents have slammed a businessman's failed bid to build commercial units on the site of the former Buchanan Centre as a 'waste of everyone's time'.
Tariq Sultan had originally received planning consent to build three houses on the site at Jeffrey Street in Kilmarnock.
He subsequently submitted two applications to a build storage unit on the site. Both were withdrawn.
The latest application was again for eight units and was brought before East Ayrshire Council's planning committee after receiving more than ten objections.
Councillors heard that the application failed to meet standards on a range of issues, and was recommended for refusal. Points raised included:
- Noise and activity that would impact 'significantly and unacceptably' in a residential area.
- Introduction of 'industrial style buildings' in a residential area
- Additional commercial traffic
- Failure to meet parking requirement
The report to the committee stated: "Overall, the proposed development is not harmonious with the existing development which surrounds the site and would be out of place is developed.
"Within the submission itself, there is insufficient information provided to justify the use, as well as the impacts of the development on the surrounding area."
Resident Thomas Quinn spoke to the committee on behalf of nine other objectors.
He said: "This has been portrayed on social media as some kind of philanthropic enterprise benefiting the area, using a photo of the plans of the proposed industrial units alongside a photo of the Buchanan Centre taken in 2015.
"What wasn't shown was the derelict state of the site as it is now."
He acknowledged that Mr Sultan had been involved in 'undisputed good works'.
However, he said that there was a perception 'that landowners can do what they like, while living far away from the area'.
He continued: "The landowner here won't be faced with a black wall 22m long by 6m high and uncontrolled levels of traffic every time looks out of his front window. Neither should we.
"Many residents here are either self employed, work from home or work on shift patterns. We are neither apathetic nor stupid and we are becoming increasingly angry at the state of the site and its surroundings.
"We already have to deal with speeding traffic, litter, drug dealing and violence. The site lying as it is, is an conveniently disused corner where these things happen.
"We have to face this derelict site on a daily basis. It has been an eyesore since the Buchanan Centre was forced to close due to lack of support and funding from this council.
"It was a valuable asset to the community but the Church of Scotland let it fall into a dangerous state until a storm finally took its roof off and they were forced to demolish it."
He said that agents and applicants should not 'waste everyone's time', adding: "We don't get paid to take time off work and lose income to come here and argue against a proposal that should not have been put forward in the first place."
Stephen McQuiston, representing Mr Sultan, was keen to point out his client's standing in the community.
He referred to the work that Mr Sultan, a director of the Ayrshire Muslim Education Centre, runs a foodbank which has provided almost 125,000 meals to those in need.
Mr McQuiston said that Mr Sultan had been approached by members of the building trade and other local stores about the potential for providing storage units.
He continued: " I really sympathise with what [objectors] have to look at. If this application had been taken to approval then Mr Sultan would have made the site more respectable.
The committee agreed to refuse the application.
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
