North Ayrshire Council have bought Irvine’s King’s Arms Hotel, the Irvine Herald can exclusively reveal.
The boozer fell into disrepair following its closure in 2015 and there are no plans to reopen the business in this ‘financial climate.’
It is understood the council instead plans to redevelop the hotel into town centre housing.
Councillor Jim Montgomerie, Cabinet Member for Place, said: “The King’s Arms will hold a special place in the hearts of many people, particularly those from the Irvine area who used to frequent it.
“Sadly, there is little chance in the current economic climate for a commercial enterprise to take over the building.
“Given the key location and its significant deterioration, we undertook option appraisal studies and considered a number of different ways the building could be brought back into use.
“It was clear that the best fit for the building is to create new homes - this is the most sustainable option which will bring people into the town centre, help support local businesses and enliven the area.
“Not only will this help bring added vitality to the town centre, but it prevents an important building from being completely lost forever."
Originally dating from the early 19th century, the King’s Arms Hotel is category C Listed building and is located within the Irvine Town Centre Conservation area.
Now that the purchase is complete, the council will draw up proposals to allow for the creation of ‘high quality, affordable and accessible’ accommodation while respecting the building’s listed status.
The council say they also plan to investigate possible funding sources from national bodies to help retain as much of the existing building structure as possible and ensure the design is sympathetic to the existing townscape and conservation area setting.
