Lochwinnoch heritage consultation

Thank you to everyone who shared their feedback on: 

• Lochwinnoch’s heritage
• the condition of their properties
• how they make use of the village centre.  

We received a wide range of valuable input through a: 

• public heritage survey
• separate survey for young people
• survey with owners and tenants about the condition of older properties in the centre of the Lochwinnoch conservation area
• drop-in session at the McKillop Institute for the public to discuss and share feedback in-person.
   

What you told us

General feedback

Your feedback included:

• the value people place on Lochwinnoch’s heritage
• wanting to learn more about historical topics
• what repairs and maintenance owners and tenants of older buildings are concerned about
• what improvements could help make the village centre a more vibrant place to live and visit.

Lochwinnoch’s Heritage

The overwhelming majority of responders think Lochwinnoch’s history is important or very important and are keen to learn more about it. They would like to know about:

• Lochwinnoch’s historic buildings, landmarks, and architecture
• local stories, folklore, and notable residents
• industrial heritage
• social, political, and family histories
• traditional crafts and skills.

The collective value of Lochwinnoch’s historic built environment was highlighted as the biggest contributor to the character of the village. 

In particular, Lochwinnoch’s churches, the McKillop Institute, the Library and Auld Simon are valued for their heritage importance.

Condition of older buildings

Most responders agreed that older buildings in the centre of Lochwinnoch could be better maintained. 

Owners and tenants said costs are the main barrier to progressing plans for repair or improvement of properties. Many of them said a new grant scheme, as well as existing council grants, would encourage them to plan and carry out repairs.

They reported the need to carry out repairs, mainly roof and chimney repairs, but also window, render, and stonework repairs. 

Owners and tenants of commercial properties wanted to improve their buildings’ facades to stand out more to passers-by.

People also raised the issue of effective enforcement of planning rules within the conservation area. This was partially due to a misunderstanding that slate was not used to re-roof the McKillop Institute in 2021, when in fact Cambrian slate, a recycled Welsh slate, was used.

The village centre

Almost everyone said the centre of Lochwinnoch could be a vibrant place. They named events and festivals as the biggest contributors to making the village centre feel vibrant, although there wasn’t agreement about the frequency of these.

Common concerns included: 

• issues with traffic management and parking in the village centre
• poor public transport. 

People also wanted to see an expansion of retail and hospitality in the village centre. Businesses spoke about the challenges they face, and the need for support in the current trading climate.

There were mixed views on what was on offer for tourists, with most of the public thinking these could be improved:

• directions, signs, and maps
• historical information for visitors.

What we will do:

Following your feedback, we’ve applied to Historic Environment Scotland for development funding. This is for a heritage project, called ‘Cornerstones,’ which focusses on the centre of Lochwinnoch’s conservation area.

We’re also going to apply for additional match funding from the National Lottery Heritage for the Cornerstones project.

We’ll find out early in 2026 if our bids for funding have been successful. If they are, we can develop a detailed plan for a 5-year investment programme for the Cornerstones project.

We’ll then look at getting funding and approval from the Council board for the next phase of delivering the Cornerstones project.

We’ll share the progress, decisions, and outcomes of our funding applications here when we find out.

Map of the Lochwinnoch conservation area