Significant progress has been made this week on major development plans for the strategically important Hunterston site in North Ayrshire.

Members of the council's Planning Committee approved proposals for the creation of a salmon rearing facility at the location.

The applicants, Bakkafrost Scotland, who operate over 40 sites across the country, have been granted permission to build the complex, which will be dedicated to the breeding of salmon smolts.

The project is anticipated to generate substantial employment, with an estimated 264 full-time jobs during the construction phase. Once operational, the development is projected to create 15 direct jobs and a further 35 jobs within the supply chain in North Ayrshire.

The proposed site is situated in the north-east corner of the Hunterston Construction Yard, covering an area of approximately 6.75 hectares. This includes an existing access road from the south and a route connecting the main part of the site to a jetty in the north-west. The aquaculture complex itself will be located within a roughly rectangular area of around 3.3 hectares in the north-west corner.

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The facility will utilise a Recirculated Aquaculture System (RAS) and will be enclosed by a steel weldmesh security fence ranging from 2 to 3 metres in height. Within the complex, various buildings will house the different stages of fish development.

Hunterston holds a key designation within National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), the Scottish Government's overarching strategy for development. North Ayrshire Council, in collaboration with partners Peel Ports Group, Scottish Enterprise, Crown Estates, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, forms part of a strategic stakeholder working group aiming to maximise investment in the area following the decommissioning of the nuclear power station.

This Ayrshire Growth Deal project, which is considered critical to Scotland's Energy, Blue Economy, Offshore Wind, and Circular Economy sectors, will receive funding support from the UK Government.

Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy, stated: "We welcome this decision by the Planning Committee and look forward to seeing the development come to fruition over the coming months. Hunterston is one of our key strategic sites and aims to play a key role in the country's transition to net-zero by 2045. The site has incredible potential, and could become Scotland's driving force in tackling climate change, creating jobs, regenerating the local community and so much more."

Councillor Robert Foster, chair of the Planning Committee, added: "These are exciting plans and following consideration we were pleased to approve the proposals. We look forward to things progressing in the coming months."