The proposals, which have been developed by East Ayrshire Council’s developer CCG (Scotland) Ltd and its design team, would see 18 new homes being built on the site.

The development would include eight 2-bed cottage flats, six 2-bed homes, one 3-bed wheelchair accessible bungalow, two 3-bed homes and one 4-bed home, which have been designed for general and community care needs.

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 Bellevue Gardens, Kilmarnock is open now and will close on Monday 21 December.”

Councillor Elena Whitham, cabinet member for housing and communities, said: “The development proposed for Bellevue Gardens in Kilmarnock is part of an £154m investment over a five year period that will provide over 1000 affordable homes for our communities. The proposed development has been considered carefully taking into account local demand and looking carefully at the demographic of this area. It will undoubtedly benefit local people and provide housing options for a range of needs, including vulnerable people.

“The consultation is an important part of the development process. We need to hear from local people to ensure that we have our plans right and that we are fully considering local needs. 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 Monday 21 December.