East Ayrshire Council has announced that its regeneration project in Cumnock is to be extended.

An additional three historic properties are now set to be transformed following the allocation of almost £100,000 of extra funding as the authority's Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) projects come to an end.

For the past five years, a number of buildings in Cumnock have been restored due to CARS funding, which allowed building owners to access grants worth up to 80% of the costs of making their premises wind and water tight using sympathetic, long lasting and traditional methods in keeping with their original construction.

As a result, the grants – funded in partnership with Historic Scotland and East Ayrshire Council – have helped owners carry out extensive repairs to roofs, gutters, windows and structural fabric. Traditional signage and shopfronts have also been reintroduced and original features, some of which had been lost over time, have been reinstated.

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The funding is expected to end in March and some projects, which had been earmarked as priorities at the outset of the CARS initiative might have remained incomplete. For this reason, East Ayrshire Council has agreed to allocate funding of £98,000 to ensure the continuation of the work until June 2014.

Buildings at 1-3 Ayr Road, 18 Glaisnock Street and 40-42 the Square will now benefit from a revamp of roofing, including lead and slatework; rainwater goods and general weatherproofing to preserve and protect them from the elements.

Councillor Jim Buchanan, Spokesperson for Delivering Community Regeneration, East Ayrshire Council, welcomed the news. He said: "In any regeneration scheme legal and planning issues, consents and funding take a long time to pull together, particularly when there are multiple owners in a property. As a result our CARS projects took a while to start but their effect is now very noticeable.

"The Dumfries Arms Hotel, The Royal Hotel and numerous shops and residential properties are now much improved as a result. This last bit of funding will enable us to complete another three iconic buildings in the town. TC's Bar, Logan's Solicitors and the Mercat Hotel are all prominent buildings of architectural importance and their restoration will contribute greatly to the improved appearance and long term future of the town centre.

"For the owners, having this work done removes the headache of constant short term repairs, leaving them safe in the knowledge that the contractors have to comply with our stringent specifications to ensure the work done is the best method for their building."

(JP)