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A £30 million care village planned for Ayr town centre has been scrapped - after NHS chiefs pulled the funding plug. The joint project with South Ayrshire Council aimed to erect a giant care facility boasting office space for staff and accomodation for the elderly. But health bosses have confessed they no longer have the cash to support the scheme. The former Hourstons department store and Arran Mall shopping site were set to make way for the 'Ageing Well' village under grand plans announced in 2023. But it has become the latest false start project for the council, who now face going back to the drawing board to rescue the town centre site. They said NHS Ayrshire & Arran were "unable to provide any significant funding for the Care Village project and that they cannot commit to any involvement in the project for the foreseeable future." New facilities would have included welcoming family centres, meeting facilities, as well as both permanent and flexible working office space for SAC and NHS staff all under one roof. A council spokesperson said: "A paper will be brought to Council on November 6 to advise councillors that proposals to deliver a Care Village at the Hourstons and Arran Mall site in Ayr, is no longer viable due to a lack of funding. "This gives the council the opportunity to explore options for the construction of a mix of residential property across the full site representing town centre living and increasing footfall in the town. "A report will go to councillors by March 2026, detailing the different residential options and tenures including opportunities to dispose of the site on the open market and/or engaging with a development partner to construct housing jointly." NHS Ayrshire & Arran have been contacted for comment.
