Almost two years of partial road closures in Cumnock town centre will be lifted on Wednesday.
Glaisnock Street has been closed in one direction since autumn 2021 after a building was discovered to be unstable and emergency repair work had to be instigated by East Ayrshire Council.
While the reopening of Glaisnock Street on May 31 has been welcomed, a councillor says drivers have become used to driving out of The Square onto Townhead Street without traffic coming from their right.
The news was revealed at Thursday’s governance and scrutiny committee.
Ward councillor June Kyle said: “They need to put warnings up as [drivers] are flying round the square and going up and down the main street because there is no traffic coming from the right. There is going to be mayhem.
“We need to remind people that the road is opened up again. It is terrible to get across at the moment. They are literally flying round the square.”
The reopening came up during a discussion on dangerous buildings.
The partial closure of Glaisnock Street came about as the result of work to demolish the fire gutted former Jade Flower takeaway and turn it into a car park.
During demolition, the adjacent building, formerly TCs bar, became unstable and further work was required to make it safe. It was reported that an ‘inherent defect’ rather than the demolition work caused the issue.
David Mithchell, the council’s chief governance officer, said the work had cost in the region of £200,000 with the council unable to pursue costs as the company which had last owned the building had been dissolved.
The council is in the process of acquiring the building through the courts in order and aim to sell it to recover the costs incurred making it safe.
Mr Mitchell said the issue around ownerless buildings was one that he hoped could be addressed.
He said: “One arm of the state can sit there and make companies disappear at stroke of pen without any investigation into what they are leaving behind.
“In my view, they should establish what buildings have been left before allowing companies to disappear.”
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