North Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet has approved proposals to build 26 new homes on the site.

It will be the latest development to be added to the council’s house-building programme which is delivering hundreds of new homes right across North Ayrshire.

Councillor Tony Gurney, cabinet member for Green Environment and Economy at North Ayrshire Council, said: “We have one of the most ambitious housebuilding programmes in Scotland and the development at Largs will be yet another exciting addition to that programme.

“It will be a natural extension to our recently-completed 122-home development at Flatt Road which neighbours the site and will provide a range of general needs homes and amenity properties.”

Following extensive assessment of the council’s proposal, the Scottish Government has confirmed its willingness to fund the project through its Affordable Housing Supply Programme, recognising the shovel-ready status of the project and its contribution to increasing local and national social housing supply.

The St Mary’s Primary School site, on Linn Avenue, was initially earmarked for an innovative housing programme, called Home Ownership Made Easy or HOME, which would have allowed tenants to own a partial stake in their home.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic followed by the worldwide rise in construction costs and inflation, means that the HOME scheme is no longer financially viable, requiring an alternative future to be found for the site.