The former Boswell Park Bingo Hall in Ayr, an Art Deco building also known as Green's Playhouse, has been designated as one of Scotland's historic buildings at risk. Heritage campaigners have warned it should not suffer the same fate as the town's former Station Hotel, which was demolished under emergency powers.
The building is one of 42 Scottish structures added this year to SAVE Britain's Heritage's nationwide Buildings at Risk register, nearly doubling the number of Scottish entries. The charity said the increase reflects a growing crisis facing Scotland's historic buildings, highlighting the demolition of Ayr Station Hotel and the loss of other landmark buildings across the country.
History of the Building
The Boswell Park building has a history stretching back more than a century. Originally the site of a roller skating rink built in 1911, it later became a cinema before architect John Fairweather designed the current Green's Playhouse, which opened in 1931 after an earlier building on the site was destroyed by fire. With seating for more than 3,100 people, it was the second-largest cinema in Scotland and the third-largest in the UK at the time. It later became a bingo hall, remaining in use until it closed in February 2023.
The vacant building was offered for sale at auction earlier this year with a guide price of £168,000 and marketed as being suitable for a range of future uses. SAVE said the building had been nominated by members of the public, conservation professionals and local authorities concerned about its future.
Campaign to Protect Historic Buildings
SAVE had campaigned to save the category B-listed Station Hotel, arguing much more of the fire-damaged building could have been retained. The charity also launched a campaign to tighten Scotland's emergency demolition laws after the hotel and other listed buildings were demolished under public safety powers.
Conservation officer Lydia Franklin said: “Scotland’s architectural legacy as a place with a rich and diverse range of historic buildings – and as the birthplace of world-famous architects like Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Robert Adam – is one which deserves fierce protection and thoughtful adaption to modern needs. Yet threats to Scotland’s built environment persist – from emergency works that risk flattening more than necessary, to the slower but just as deadly issues of neglect and decay.”
Community Engagement
Heritage Engagement Manager Amy Popham said the charity hoped highlighting buildings on the register would encourage people to come forward with ideas for their future. “As the record number of nominations we’ve received this year demonstrate, these buildings are held in huge affection by the people whose lives they enhance,” she said. “They believe these buildings are worth fighting for and so do we. By highlighting these terrific local landmarks we hope people will come forward with creative ideas for their future. Buildings like these are what make our towns and villages unique and reusing them is a great starting place for breathing new life into entire communities.”
SAVE noted that contractors have recently been seen at the Ayr building after masonry reportedly fell from the property earlier this year, despite there being no approved planning applications linked to the site. The charity’s Buildings at Risk register now includes around 1,500 historic buildings across the UK.
