Posted: Thursday 1 July 2010

Diageo in Discussions to Gift Land for New Kilmarnock College

Part of the Diageo site at Hill Street in Kilmarnock is being considered for a new Kilmarnock College Campus to establish the town as one of Scotland’s most ambitious centres of education.
 
Diageo has agreed in principle to donate around eight acres of the 31-acre site to the College, with the land likely to become available after the plant closes in mid-2012. The company has held a series of meetings with the College and East Ayrshire Council to address a number of matters that could clear the way to handing over the land for the college development.
 
The discussions have been hailed by Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of East Ayrshire Council as “a significant step forward” for Kilmarnock in terms of the regeneration of the town centre and reflects Diageo’s commitment to working in the community to help stimulate and facilitate the growth of the local economy.
 
Diageo Scotland Managing Director, Bryan Donaghey, said that the company had a very good relationship with Kilmarnock College and East Ayrshire Council and was immensely impressed with ambitions for the future of the college and Kilmarnock and what they will mean for the town as a centre of innovation in education.
 
Bryan Donaghey said: “We have a number of detailed issues to work through, but Diageo wants to be involved in facilitating this very important development for Kilmarnock and we are working closely with the College and the Council to help make it happen.”
 
Kilmarnock College Principal & Chief Executive, Heather Dunk said: “The Board of Kilmarnock College would like to thank Diageo for the company’s intention to donate part of the Hill Street site to the College. This partnership will greatly help the College to proceed with its plans to develop a world-class campus in the town.
 
“The relocation of the College to this site will help provide high quality learning for generations to come.  Also it will be significant in creating a vibrant heart of the town.
 
“We have been working very closely with Diageo through the ‘Make it Kilmarnock’ Task Force and securing a town centre site has been a key priority.  I would like to thank Diageo, East Ayrshire Council and members of the Local Task Force for their support in helping to realise this ambition for the College.
 
“The College inspires achievement and builds futures and this announcement provides us with the opportunity to realise our vision of being a sector leading College in the heart of Ayrshire located within a state-of-the-art campus.”
 
Councillor Reid also welcomed the development and said: “I am delighted that Diageo is prepared to make part of the Hill Street site available for the development of the new Kilmarnock College Campus. The Council fully supports this landmark proposal for the long-term future of Kilmarnock as a prosperous community.

“Our local Task Force, which brought together politicians of all parties and governments, has been working closely with private and public sector organisations to bring forward new projects to help safeguard and develop the local economy and I am particularly heartened by the constructive and enthusiastic way in which Diageo is now engaged with us as part of this process.
 
“The Task Force has worked closely with the company to secure this substantial commitment from them.

“The development of a new campus at the Hill Street site, sitting prominently alongside the railway station, which has also recently benefited from major investment, will bring vitality back into our town centre and will help to secure the future of our town.

 “The new state-of-the-art learning campus will attract students from far and wide but will also prepare our young people for adulthood and the world of work. We are keen to explore the creation of a unique learning community, particularly for senior pupils entering Further Education, Higher Education or employment.

“This announcement is great news for Kilmarnock but it is just the start. I believe that the evolving and expanding Task Force, Make it Kilmarnock, will make a real difference to how we shape the future of the town and this belief is shared by local businesses and people in the community as we work together to revive Kilmarnock.”

 For further information contact:

Julie Shedden, Diageo – 0131 519 2033, Julie.shedden@diageo.com

Raymond Robertson, Kilmarnock College – 0131 202 0120, Raymond@halogencom.com

Julie Haig, East Ayrshire Council – 01563 576 520, Julie.haig@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

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