With a prime location on the Ayrshire Coast, lower than average house prices, coupled to upgraded connections by road and rail, Irvine is becoming both a commuter destination of choice and centre of business regeneration in one go.
It wasn’t always like this. The Eighties and Nineties were unkind and the community needed to rediscover its mojo. The turnaround phase might have been slower to arrive, but it has accelerated since.
Councillor Marie Burns, Cabinet Member for Economy & Employment at North Ayrshire Council, throws some impressive facts onto the table.
She says: "Over the last two years we have seen several regeneration projects, including the development of the new £22 million leisure and cultural centre, the regeneration of Vineburgh – which included 287 new homes costing £3.3m, and investment into the Irvine Enterprise Area, i3, establishing a number of new office developments.
"As well as the actual physical investment, we have gained real buy-in from local communities.
"Under the Irvine Vision umbrella consideration will be given to future opportunities at Irvine’s Harbourside and other public realm improvements in the centre."
The council may not be an official party to the City Deal programme but is signed-up in other practical ways to the city-region ethos.
"Creating jobs is North Ayrshire Council’s number one priority and our local efforts are paying real dividends," Burns maintains.
"Irvine stands to benefit from a stronger city-region with increased investment in infrastructure and new jobs created through the City Deal.
"Irvine already has a significant number of people – 5,532 – who travel to Glasgow for work. The challenge is to make sure people can access the new jobs created. We must ensure there are good links and people have the right skills.
"North Ayrshire is already home to several world class science, manufacturing and engineering businesses, such as GlaxoSmithKline, Ardagh Group, DSM, Sigma Aldrich, Millar Callaghan and UPM.
"We plan to build on this strong foundation by working with our partners across Ayrshire, and with Scottish Government, to look at a ‘Growth Deal’ for the whole of Ayrshire.
"We recognise that to initiate a step change in the Ayrshire economy we need a new approach that will deliver future growth. Ayrshire boasts many economic assets yet continues to experience high levels of unemployment within some of our communities."
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