Garnock Valley election leaflet

 Great to see tree planting begin at Lochshore. Trainees from the East Ayrshire Woodlands planting the Lochshore Wee Forest, they even let me plant one.

 Work is progressing well on the new Community Hub at Lochshore, took the opportunity to get a photograph on a beautiful January morning.

Garnock Flood Protection Scheme Progressing

 Along with my fellow councillors for Kilbirnie and Beith and council officers I was pleased to get a closer view of the progress on the scheme last week. The flood limiting culvert is now in place and already offering some protection to Kilbirnie and Glengarnock residents.

It has been a long haul to secure government funding for the scheme and it is great to see the flood defences now taking shape. Over the years various proposals were turned down and it was a constant challenge to convice government to commit their 80% of the project.

Work starts on new Moorpark Primary School.

 

Pupils joined teachers, councillors, construction partners Clark Contracts and other representatives after the first turf was cut on the new Moorpark Primary.

The new £10.85 million facility, which will replace the existing school and sit opposite the current building, is expected to be complete by Easter 2023.

Following changes to the school roll and the relocation of Garnock Academy, plans were put forward to modernise the existing establishment. But after detailed surveys, it was agreed that the most cost-effective and best solution was to build a new school.

The new Moorpark Primary will have 12 primary classes and a 24-place Early Years facility.

Councillor John Bell, cabinet member for education, said: “We are delighted to be here cutting the turf to signal the beginning of this exciting new development.

“Moorpark was built in 1978 and has been a really popular school for the community. We obviously looked at the option of modernising the existing facility but think the option of a new-build is the best way forward for this and future generations of school pupils and their families.

 

Lochshore Development

I was delighted to be present at the official site start of the new Community Hub at Lochshore along with Council leader Joe Cullinane, representative form the 3 Garnock Valley Community councils and of course Garnock Rugby Club. 

Councillor John Bell, Depute Leader of North Ayrshire Council and chair of the Lochshore Development group said  "It is great to see our plans starting to transform into physical developments.

We are looking for further community input into the next stage of the exciting development at Lochshore. This is the site of the former Glengarnock Steelworks and covers around 250 hectares, including Kilbirnie Loch.

In 2017 we carried out a consultation which led to the vision of the site as a parkland destination with a focus on play. The land is owned by North Ayrshire Council and, after much consultation with residents and work with a range of partners, work is already underway to construct a new £4.2 million Visitor and Community Hub and active travel routes.

The Council is now looking to progress the wider design of the site which will contain new play and leisure facilities and we are looking for your ideas and suggestions on what you would like to see at Lochshore, what the park should contain and how it should be laid out.

The site already has a wealth of natural assets including Kilbirnie Loch and it is home to a rich matrix of flora and fauna, containing woodland, grassland, and marshland areas which together support a range of wildlife habitats. The rugby pitches and Loch are also actively used by local clubs, but we are keen to understand how you would like to use the park on a day-to-day basis.

A series of newsletters will be published on the consultation process.

 

Consultation on housing plans for former Garnock Academy site

Posted on 28 Apr 2021

Local residents will get the chance to have their say on exciting plans for new housing on part of the former Garnock Academy site.

North Ayrshire Council is holding an online consultation on the plans for 50 properties which include a mix of general needs houses, homes suitable for wheelchair users and amenity bungalows.

There will also be an opportunity for those without internet access to comment on the proposals.

It is hoped that construction can start in spring 2022 on the £9.7million project which is supported by Scottish Government grant of £2.95m.

Yvonne Baulk, Head of Service (Physical Environment), said: “We have made a commitment to deliver 1,575 new homes for our residents and this ambitious development is a key part of those plans.

“As well as bringing part of an important site close to Kilbirnie town centre back into use, it will see the creation of more modern, energy-efficient homes for our residents to live in.”

Local people and interested parties can view and comment on the draft plans for the development from today, Wednesday, 28 April, 2021, until Wednesday, 26 May, 2021, online at http://www.northayrshire.community/consultations/

Alternatively, anyone wishing to speak to a member of staff about the plans can email developmentandstrategy@north-ayrshire.gov.uk or telephone 01294 324031.

If you are unable to access the consultation online, please telephone the number above to get in touch with a member of staff.