North Ayrshire Council has one of the most ambitious house building programmes in Scotland.
We have committed to building 1,575 new homes for our residents and are well on track to fulfil that pledge.
Although the programme was delayed slightly last year due to the Covid pandemic and lockdown restrictions, it’s full steam ahead for the Housing team as they push forward plans for the new homes in every part of North Ayrshire.
Let’s take a look at some of the recently-completed projects as well as some currently in development….
Major improvement works have now been completed at Connell Court, Kilbirnie, marking the culmination of the latest project to deliver modern, accessible homes for older residents. The £2.114m works have brought extensive improvements to the properties which are designed to specifically meet the needs of older residents.
A £7.66million project at the site of the former Watt Court, Dalry, saw 49 new energy efficient council homes created. The development comprises a Sheltered Housing complex, amenity bungalows, supported accommodation and a new Local Housing Office for Dalry.
The transformation of Kilbirnie’s former housing office was recently completed. The project has seen the creation of three high-quality amenity flats in a desirable town centre location in Kilbirnie, next to an existing sheltered housing unit.
The ambitious £4.7million upgrade of Saltcoats high flats is moving to the next stage. The first phase of the improvement programme – which deals with external works such as new windows and rendering – is nearing completion at Lambie Court and O’Connor Court. And work is expected to get under way this summer on the internal improvements.
The fantastic 24-home Dickson Drive development in Irvine, which opened last year, showcased how North Ayrshire Council is at the cutting edge of developing homes for the future. The Council created two unique ‘Sustainable Demonstrator Homes’ at the development, highlighting the latest design and technology while being kind to the environment. A virtual tour of the Sustainable Demonstrator home is available here.
Work is currently ongoing in a number of towns which will also deliver hundreds of new Council homes this year at sites including Flatt Road in Largs, St Beya Gardens in Cumbrae, Brathwic Terrace on Arran, Towerlands in Irvine, and Springvale in Saltcoats.
Other developments currently under construction include St Michael’s Wynd in Kilwinning, Dalrymple Place in Irvine and Irvine Harbourside.
If that wasn’t enough consultation is under way on a series of projects which should begin construction in the near future. These include proposals for six new amenity bungalows at Afton Court in Stevenston, 15 homes on part of the former Garnock Academy site and the former police station site at St Colm’s Place, Largs.
In addition, we are driving forward ambitious regeneration plans that will breathe new life into residential estates in the Garnock Valley. The plans will see 48 flatted priorities, consisting of bedsits and one-bedroom apartments, demolished to make way for a combination of new housing, landscaping and much-needed additional parking – helping to improve the overall attractiveness of the areas.
The most recent Housing Revenue Account budget, approved by the Council in December last year, includes £25m further investment in the Council’s Sheltered Housing Re-provisioning Programme. This provides the opportunity to refurbish the remaining sheltered units in the housing portfolio which have not yet been upgraded, over a five-year period.