CUMNOCK shop owners are gearing up for a big move to the newest shopping development in the town

The new retail units on Townhead Street are nearing completion and the new occupants got their first look this week.

The seven new units, funded by East Ayrshire Council, will provide a new home for some of the towns longest established family businesses who are moving from the soon to be demolished Glaisnock Centre.

Shopkeepers Isabel Robertson of Knit One Kids Too, and Christopher Ross of Ross Electricals, who are among five new owners due to move into the state of the art development, took a chance to visit the site and see the progress being made for themselves.

Isabel commented “We’re delighted to see the building taking shape”.

She started her wool and children’s wear shop in 1984 and she added: “I can’t wait to see daylight and have a shopfront on the street. It’ll be great to feel part of the rest of the town centre again. Since the Glaisnock Centre has been winding down it’s been quite quiet. We’re confident with all the passing traffic on the new site we’ll get much more business from established and new customers."

Christopher Ross, who first worked in his shop, Ross Electricals at the age of 9 said: “All of us who’re moving are looking forward to being part of this new development. It’s so well designed and the great advantage is with excellent insulation and modern heating systems and the absence of a maintenance charge our overheads will be lower – that’s a great boon for any business. It turns Townhead Street into a proper two-sided shopping street and the businesses across the road are as excited about the new shops as we are.

“In a wider sense this is all about the regeneration of the whole town centre. My dad opened the shop in 1977 and we’ve seen a lot of businesses come and go in that time, but this development, along with the proposals to link car parking on both sides of the river, will help secure the future of Cumnock as a viable market town, especially as increasing numbers are drawn to Dumfries House and its associated businesses. The vibe in the town is altogether more positive, as people recognise that small businesses offering great service are the way to go. We’ve come to a realisation that the only way to get things done is to organise ourselves and work together to see what can be done to bring about the improvements we need. That’s why I’m delighted that we’ve just formed the Cumnock Business Association (CBA) and I’m very excited about our future plans.”

Marion Gilliland, whose card, gifts and homeware business, Gilliland & Co, faces the new development, is Chairperson of the new CBA. She said “We’ve deliberately called ourselves a business association rather than a retailers group because we recognise that so many other non-retail businesses are a vital part of town centre life. It’s been an eye opener to realise that there are over 160 businesses based in Cumnock, and it’s amazing even to someone like me who’s Cumnock born and bred, to realise the huge diversity of companies on our own doorstop. We’ve already had an enthusiastic core of members join us, but we’re hoping many more will come along. There’s strength in numbers, the one thing that sticks out when we talk to each other is that we’re all passionate about the town and our customers and there are new businesses opening in Cumnock all the time as people realise it's time we that if there's a gap in the market it's up to us to fill it. Together we can work with partner agencies such as East Ayrshire Council and Dumfries House to ensure we make the most of every opportunity open to our town.”

Councillor Jim Buchanan, Cabinet member for Economy, East Ayrshire Council said: “It’s great to see this Cumnock development nearing fruition. Like all regeneration projects it has taken a great deal of time and effort from many people to get it off the ground, however, the enthusiastic attitude of the new occupiers and the clear passion they have for their town and customers makes it very obvious why this work was so necessary. The opening of these new shops is proving a great catalyst for renewed vigour in the town and the inauguration of the Cumnock Business Association is a major step in helping the business community to build on their unique circumstances and maximise their success. This is regeneration in action, providing buildings that are fit for purpose and spurring people on to improve life for themselves and their communities.”