NEARLY £200,000 of funding is being spent on an historic Kilwinning landmark to help complete work on securing its long term future.
In December, North Ayrshire Council were notified that their 2024-25 allocation from Crown Estates Scotland (CES) is £197,255.27.
It was proposed at a cabinet meeting to allocate the 2024-25 CES funding (£197,255.27) to improvement and repair works at Kilwinning Abbey Tower. The project has been assessed against and meets the requirements of the fund.
The need for the works was informed by extensive consultation including a Charette undertaken in 2019, which identified Kilwinning Abbey, the tower and surrounding grounds as being of key importance.
This was followed by the Kilwinning Place Framework which was prepared in 2023, drawing upon extensive community and stakeholder engagement involving residents, businesses, community organisations and relevant departments from across North Ayrshire Council.
This helped create a set of priorities and actions, and enhancing the Kilwinning Abbey Tower emerged as a priority.
The works are required to ensure the Abbey Tower’s long-term conservation.
This includes building fabric repairs and improvements that will ensure water ingress is prevented.
Lost features will also be reinstated, and a range of other improvements will be carried out to enhance the visitor experience throughout the building. Conservation Architects, Wylie Shanks Architects, prepared the tender information with input from the council and Kilwinning Heritage.
CBC Stone have been appointed to undertake the fabric improvements.
The 2023-24 CES allocations were approved by the council's cabinet through the Regeneration Delivery Plan Action Programme and Funding Proposals Update report last August, with a balance of £50k remaining.
It was proposed the balance is allocated to support the creation of a North Ayrshire Islands Programme Fund (£50k) to provide targeted support to Cumbrae and Arran, addressing their unique challenges and opportunities. The proposed fund will be administered from April 2025 to March 2026 and will provide support for community organisations in addressing their specific needs, achieve their aims and the wider priorities of the Islands Plans.
This direct investment to island communities will address social, economic and environmental issues by delivering immediate and longer-term sustainable improvements.
The fund will complement existing island funding sources. It aims to enable community-led local action on the islands to build on strengths, support local needs and strengthen Community Wealth Building through the implementation of actions that deliver the priorities identified in the strategic Local Island Plans.
The interventions are aimed at:
- Supporting island facilities and services and maximising community assets to support wellbeing in local communities
- Delivering health, wellbeing and community activities including those that tackle inequalities and disadvantage
- .Enhancing the islands’ culture and heritage
- Developing and promoting active travel and transport solutions
- Improving communities’ preparedness to deal with the impacts of climate change
The works are being funded by a range of sources including internal council budgets, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Place Based Investment Programme.
The allocation of Crown Estates funding will provide additional budget, maximise the level of external investment in the project and provide additional contingency funding due to the nature of the works.
Proposals were all agreed.
SNP councillor Tony Gurney, cabinet member for green environment and the economy said: “The tower is currently unsafe and this work will make it safe for generations to come. This completes the funding needed to get it done.
“We get this money because we have the shoreline so we will be able to use this to invest in projects that possibly we wouldn’t have previously been able to. This is very much a legacy project.”
