North Ayrshire Council’s Capital Programme - which supports investment in buildings, infrastructure and regeneration - will commit £373 million over the next ten years to a series of important infrastructure projects.

Underpinning all of these major initiatives will be the council’s pledge to a green and sustainable future and becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

And, at the heart of the programme, is a commitment to ensure North Ayrshire’s children get the best possible start in life. This includes: 

• £69m for a new Ardrossan Education and Community Campus
• £14m for the proposed Montgomerie Park Primary School, which includes additional investment for early learning and childcare provision within the new school
• An additional £6.25m invested in schools’ information and communications technology, bringing the total investment to more than £8m
• £10.36m for the new build Moorpark Primary in Kilbirnie, and
• £10.25m for the new Lockhart Campus in Stevenston.

North Ayrshire Council leader Joe Cullinane said: “There has been a huge impact on the economy as a result of the pandemic and our capital programme will be vital to our economic and green recovery, providing employment opportunities through our community wealth building approach.

“Our ambitious programme for schools will play a vital role in recovery while investing in our children’s futures.

“In addition to the ongoing improvements being carried out at early years centres across North Ayrshire, we are investing heavily in our primary and secondary schools.

“We’re excited not only about the new school buildings, but also about investing in ICT facilities for pupils and teachers. We live in an increasingly digital world and we must ensure our children have access to the tools they need to succeed.

“In addition to our ambitions for education, the Capital Programme also invests heavily in areas people care about.

“For example, we’ll be investing £15.6m extra into our roads network, bringing the total amount of investment over the next 10 years to £38.1m.

“We’ll also be spending more than £6m on our walking, cycling and safer streets projects.

“And our commitment to the environment will be honoured with investment of £6.77m for a Solar PV farm at the former Nethermains landfill site, supporting our carbon reduction commitment through the provision of a clean, renewable energy supply.”

The Capital Budget also includes a commitment of more than £68m to support the investment into the £250m Ayrshire Growth Deal through projects such as the Great Harbour at Irvine, marine tourism, and the development of the International Marine Science and Environment Centre. It was confirmed earlier this week that UK Government funding for the growth deal will be accelerated, allowing projects to be progressed more quickly.

The Budget will also support diverse range of projects such as a £10.5m investment into street lighting, £3.2m for a cemeteries replacement programme, £2.95m for a new Largs promenade seawall, and £26.6m for the Millport Flood Protection Scheme.