North Ayrshire Council Leader Marie Burns recently visited three major construction projects in the region, totalling approximately £35 million in investment.

The first project, a £4.6 million seawall in Largs, has been completed. The new precast concrete structure replaces a deteriorating 1970s seawall, offering improved protection against coastal erosion and wave activity. The project also included the extension and resurfacing of the Largs promenade and the replacement of beach access steps for better accessibility.

Councillor Burns also visited two newly opened schools: Montgomerie Park Primary School in Irvine and Moorpark Primary School in the Garnock Valley. These state-of-the-art facilities, built at a combined cost of around £30 million, are now providing modern learning environments for pupils and staff.

Councillor Burns expressed her satisfaction with the progress of these projects, highlighting their importance to the local communities.

Marie Burns, Leader of North Ayrshrie Council, said: "All three projects are fine examples of successful partnership working and of forward-thinking design. The seawall aligns with our priorities on climate change, protecting the environment and ensuring residents living in our coastal communities have protection from any future coastal erosion. It was a real pleasure to visit both schools to meet the staff, Council employees involved in the planning and construction process and – of course – the pupils. It was great to see that everyone has settled in and is enjoying learning and teaching in these state-of-the-art, multi-million pound facilities that will help educate our children for generations to come in a nurturing environment."

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Montgomerie Park is eco-friendly and is the first 'Passivhaus' school the council has built.

Passivhaus is a term for buildings that are constructed to strict energy efficiency standards to help maintain a constant temperature and reduce the building's carbon footprint.

This means the building has a high level of comfort, while using very little energy for heating and cooling. It uses significantly less energy than a typical school building, resulting in lower carbon emissions and lower energy bills.

The school opened in August, was built by Robertson Construction North West and can accommodate up to 342 pupils in the primary and 47 in the early learning and childcare facility.

Headteacher Fiona Smyth, Depute Headteacher Gillian McCallum and some enthusiastic pupils recently welcomed Councillor Burns for a tour of the facilities.

Work started in March 2023 and there are 12 classrooms, early learning facilities, a gymnasium that incorporates flexible performance areas, dining facilities, creative outdoor learning spaces and a seven-a-side all-weather pitch.

At Moorpark Primary in Kilbirnie, Headteacher Elaine Mann and Depute Headteacher Andrew McDonnell welcomed Councillor Burns.

This school also opened earlier this year – again, in keeping with the council's sustainability priorities, the environment and selection of materials are at the heart of its design. It has 12 primary classes and a 24-place early years facility.

Key features include:

• an effective natural ventilation strategy which provides natural, fresh air throughout the year and

• solar panels to provide free, renewable electricity for the school building and

• a seven-a-side all weather pitch.

All three projects are part of the Council's Capital Investment Programme, which currently stands at more than £400 million over a ten-year rolling programme.