The proposals, which have been developed by the East Ayrshire Council’s developer CCG (Scotland) Ltd and its design team, would see an assisted living development built for the East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership on the cleared site at 13-19 and 21-27 Quarryknowe.

The development would be similar to the award-winning facilities within Kilmarnock and Hurlford, consisting of 8 one-bed flats, including a care provider’s base and a private garden for the residents.

Robert McCulloch, interim head of housing and communities, said: “Public consultations are a normal part of any proposed housing development and it is essential that the local community have their say before we submit a Planning Application. Normally we hold community events and invite local people to attend public meetings but COVID-19 restrictions mean that we are having to think and work differently.

“Until the Scottish Government restrictions are lifted we will be holding all our public consultations online. The public consultation for Auchinleck is open now and will close on Friday 13 November.

“The development proposed for Quarryknowe will enable residents to live independently and safely in the local community, with support from health and social care services, in an environment that promotes social interaction. The concept for this development has been informed by collaborative working between the Council’s Housing Service and East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

“Any feedback received will help inform the final proposals submitted to Planning and the Ayrshire Roads Alliance.”

Plans for this area are set out in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2020-25. MAST Architects have prepared a consultation booklet that can be viewed online or downloaded.

The booklet provides details of the proposed site layout and floor plans for the houses, along with some indicative visualisations of what the development may look like, subject to securing planning approval.

The consultation is now live and will close on November 13.