Provost Anthea Dickson officially marked the beginning of the construction phase of the development at special ground-breaking ceremonies.

The development on the site of the former James McFarlane School on Dalry Road, Ardrossan, will create 19 new homes, while 29 new homes will be built on the site of the former Stanecastle School in Irvine.

At both developments, the properties will feature a mix of general needs, amenity bungalows, and properties suitable for wheelchair users.

The £4.8 million development on the site of the former James McFarlane School has received Scottish Government funding of £2m. It is hoped that the project, which is being delivered by hub South West and construction partner Ashleigh (Scotland) Limited, will be completed by summer 2025.

At Stanecastle, the £7.8m development has received Scottish Government funding of £3.2m. The project is also being delivered by hub South West and construction partner Ashleigh (Scotland) Limited, and is scheduled to be completed by summer/autumn 2025.

Councillor Alan Hill, cabinet member for communities and islands at North Ayrshire Council, said: “The Cost-of-Living Crisis has brought home to us all the need to support our communities to live in a safe, secure and healthy environment, which is fundamental to their wellbeing.

“One of the key factors in that is being able to provide comfortable and affordable accommodation so that everyone has a place to call home.

“The new homes at two of our former school sites will be the latest step towards reaching our development goals.”

Michael Ross, chief executive of development partner hub South West, added: “We are delighted to start work on these projects and work in partnership with North Ayrshire Council to deliver their next generation of sustainable housing.

“We are proud to have delivered over 380 affordable housing units to date for the authority and look forward to enabling more community wealth building outcomes from the affordable housing programme.”

Euan Clark, commercial director at Ashleigh (Scotland) Limited, commented: “We are delighted to get started on these much-needed new build affordable housing developments. North Ayrshire are a valued client for us and we are proud to continue that relationship, in partnership with hubSW.

“This continuity allows to deliver on our collective community wealth objectives through supply chain and apprenticeship opportunities. We look forward to working with the delivery team towards a successful handover of these developments.”

To help mark the beginning of construction work in Ardrossan, pupils at nearby Stanley Primary School took part in a poster design competition, on the topic of health and safety. The winners were Lacey Ramage (P6) and Leon Cairns (P3) who were presented with prizes by Provost Dickson.

In Irvine, pupils at Annick Primary School, which neighbours the Stanecastle site, also took part in a poster competition and the winners were Poppy Greenwood (P1/2) and Daniil Panagushyn (P7).