A £65m urban regeneration project in Kilmarnock has been given the green light from East Ayrshire Council.

Councillors have agreed to grant planning permission in principle for The HALO project on the site of the former Johnnie Walker bottling plant.

The plant was closed in 2012 with the loss of more than 500 jobs as production moved to modern lines in Glasgow and Fife.

The HALO project plans to create a commercial, educational, cultural, leisure and lifestyle quarter of the town, including an unique Enterprise and Innovation Centre,all fuelled by renewable energy.

Developers will now submit detailed plans to East Ayrshire Council over the coming weeks.

HALO's founder Marie Macklin said: "This important community-led project has been eight years in the making and I am thrilled that we have reached this landmark today.

"We can now push forward with the development of The HALO, creating enterprise opportunities, not just for Kilmarnock, but for East Ayrshire and Scotland as a whole."