Demolition works at the Station Hotel building in Ayr have been halted today after the owner launched a legal bid against South Ayrshire Council.

The owner of the Station Hotel building, which has been undergoing works to safely bring it down after a fire last year, is taking action.

Eng Haut Ung, also known as Sunny Ung, a Malaysian property Tycoon, owns the building located next to Ayr train station.

The building has been a source of controversy in Ayr with South Ayrshire Council issuing a dangerous building notice. They also spent £65,000 a month to keep scaffolding and a plastic cover in place over the building for safety measures.

However, after a fire in September 2023 marked the final nail in the coffin for it, the council decided to demolish parts of the building.

Rail services through the neighbouring train station remain suspended, and most of the southern section, which suffered the worst damage, has already been razed to the ground.


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The local authority has been acting under Section 29 of the Dangerous Buildings (Scotland) Act, allowing them power to demolish the former hotel in the interest of public safety.

South Ayrshire Council believed demolition works would be concluded by June 17 this year.

However, as revealed by Ayrshire Live, Mr Ung has launched a legal challenge against the local authority on the grounds that he wasn’t given proper notice about the safety works.

It’s believed that the case will be heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Friday.

A post on South Ayrshire Council social media stated: “Mr Ung has petitioned the Court of Session for the safety works to stop at the former Station Hotel. Work has been temporarily suspended until a hearing at the Court of Session on Friday.”

South Ayrshire Council has been contacted for further comment.