THE make-up of the new £62 million Education and Community Campus in Ardrossan was agreed at Full Council today.
Elected members voted in favour of the motion put forward for the proposed North Shore site by Councillor Joe Cullinane, Leader of North Ayrshire Council.
A number of amendments to the original recommendations were also agreed.
The makeup of the proposed Campus will include:
A swimming pool as a replacement for the one at Auchenharvie Leisure Centre
New Ardrossan Academy
New Winton Primary
Ardrossan Library
Accommodation for Health and Social Care Partnership
The proposals form part of wider plans and ambitions to regenerate the North Shore and Harbour and will now be subject to statutory consultation over the next few months with a final decision in the new year. The recommendations were developed after two engagement exercises with both the local schools and the community. The first focussed on the overall development and the most recent an engagement exercise into proposed swimming pool provision in the Three Towns. After analysing the findings from this most recent engagement exercise, the report recommended that a replacement Auchenharvie Leisure Centre swimming pool should be included in the North Shore facility. The engagement findings were evenly balanced between the retention of the current pool and a new one within the proposed campus however the respondents were clear on the need for high-quality facilities within the Three Towns. The report says the Council will explore the option for community use and/or ownership of the swimming pool building at Auchenharvie Leisure Centre. The report also provided details of investigation works on the North Shore site – the full report can be viewed online – and conclude that an appropriate remediation strategy can be put in place to make the site suitable for its intended use. The Council had allocated £31.5 million from its capital plan to replace Ardrossan Academy and earlier this month secured funding from the Scottish Government so they could bring their innovative proposals to fruition What was agreed
Swimming pool included within the Statutory Public Consultation proposal for a new Ardrossan Education and Community Campus, located at North Shore, Ardrossan;
Notes that the ice-rink and fitness suite currently at Auchenharvie Leisure Centre will remain at that facility;
Authorises officers to explore the option for community use and/or ownership of the swimming pool building at Auchenharvie Leisure Centre, keeping it open for as long as the infrastructure is viable subject to the outcome of the Statutory Public Consultation on the proposal to develop a new education and community campus at Ardrossan; and agrees to recruit a dedicated community development officer for Stevenston and to ring-fence the demolition budget provision within the Campus business case to support this option.
Notes the information contained within the site investigation report by Envirocentre (non-technical summary);
Notes the timeline for Statutory Public Consultation, authorising officers to finalise and implement this;
Notes that the final decision on the Statutory Public Consultation will be taken by Council.
Instructs officers to distribute information to members of Ardrossan and Arran ward, as well as those in the catchment area, on a confidential basis contemporaneously with information shared with the Administration.
Officer explore the opportunity to create the most energy-efficient campus possible, including the possibility of making a bid to the newly announced Scottish Low Card Heating Fund