A jaw dropping £500m of building works will take place across the East Ayrshire region over the next decade - after proposals for the major investment were rubber stamped.
At the meeting of East Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet, an agreement was reached on the council’s 10-year capital Investment programme.
Now building works, to the value £499.581m, will start to take share and the aim is to “positively impact” every community in East Ayrshire.
The most recently completed projects, which have been handed over to the Council, include the Dean Castle Restoration Project.
And the team from East Ayrshire Leisure are currently working hard to get the castle ready for re-opening to the public.
The refurbished and extended Crosshouse Primary, Communication Centre and Early Childhood Centre opened to children and young people last September and they are thriving in their new surroundings.
Meanwhile, Catrine and Fenwick Early Childhood Centres extensions and improvements have been completed, while Dalmellington Early Childhood Centre is due to be completed and handed over imminently.
And this week the new Netherthird Primary School opened to children and young people.
Councillor Douglas Reid, leader of the council said: “It is hard to overstate the importance of the Council’s Capital Investment Programme and the positive impact it has on our communities across East Ayrshire.
“Over the two 10-year programmes the overall investment will be £1.034 billion and this includes extensive building works, new schools, new homes, road infrastructure improvement works, like the bridge improvement works at Queens Drive, Kilmarnock, and the extensive flood prevention works in New Cumnock, which have undoubtedly protected the local community from a third major flooding event that would have occurred during the recent severe weather.
“I am also very pleased to announce that Cabinet has agreed that £1m will be allocated to the Kilmarnock Strategic Group from the remaining Kilmarnock Town Centre Regeneration Fund and the Economic Regeneration and Development Fund to enable the group to establish their priorities and help them progress their Strategic Vision.
“An important part of the Kilmarnock Strategic Vision was refurbishing the Galleon Centre and we have agreed that an update on the development of this project will be provided to a future meeting of Cabinet for our consideration.
“The financial implications of Brexit and the pandemic have had a significant impact on projects within the Capital Investment Programme and very careful planning is required to ensure that the significant investment we are making reflects local needs, circumstances and priorities.
“Updates will continue to be presented to Cabinet or through East Ayrshire Performs at a later date to allow us to agree final capital allocations.
“This work means that we can prioritise future investment and continue to deliver projects that will help to make East Ayrshire a great place to live and work.”
Cabinet agreed that detailed updates will be provided to future meetings of Cabinet on a number of key projects including:
* a review of sport and leisure in the Cumnock Area
* the Green Infrastructure Plan
* a cemetery condition assessment
* the development of Ayrshire Growth Deal Projects
* the school estate management plan.
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