Financial close has been reached on a multi-million pound development by Balfour Beatty.

The firm is understood to have reached an agreement for the proposed £46m NHS Ayrshire & Arran Acute Mental health and Community Development project.

The new facility would be located on a 6.5-hectare site at Ayrshire Central Hospital, Irvine, and would bring together a number of outpatient and in-patient facilities. Constructed on a single-storey structure, it would include 206 single en-suite bedrooms and cover a floor area of around 16,000m2. It would also achieve a BREEAM Very Good rating upon completion.

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The finance, design and construction of the centre will be carried out by Balfour Beatty. It is hoped site works will commence next month, with the new facility expected to be operational in summer 2016.

Derek Lindsay, NHS Ayrshire & Arran's Director for Finance and Senior Responsible Officer for the project, commented: "Having the right facilities in the right place is important to the people of Ayrshire and Arran so I am delighted work will start next month. During the process of reaching financial close we have worked closely with Balfour Beatty and we are confident that together we will deliver the best facility possible."

Stephen Gordon, Balfour Beatty Investments' Scotland Director, said: "We are delighted to bring this project to financial close, enabling construction to get underway. Balfour Beatty has extensive experience in the PPP health sector and we look forward to working with NHS Ayrshire & Arran to provide a high-quality healthcare facility for the local community."

(JP/MH)