Construction of a new educational and community campus in Ayrshire has been delayed and is now expected to get underway in Spring 2025.
North Ayrshire Council say that works to prepare the Ardrossan site for construction have been subject to delays as a result of several periods of adverse weather conditions.
The delay means that the completion date for the new campus has been revised from August 2026 to the second half of 2027.
As well as the educational and community campus, new houses, commercial developments and coastal paths are planned for development at the site as part of wider regeneration plans for Ardrossan.
Councillor Marie Burns, leader of North Ayrshire Council, said: “This is a very complex, large-scale development. The remediation and site preparation are absolutely vital and we are working with our contractors to ensure that all requirements are met, as well as reviewing the programme regularly as the works progress in order to keep all stakeholders updated.
“The delivery of major construction projects in the current climate continues to be challenging and this has been well publicised nationally.
“While any delay is disappointing, the progress on-site to date is very encouraging. We will continue to closely monitor the condition of the existing buildings which will need to remain open for a longer period.
“We are conscious of the impact of the works on local residents and will continue to work with our contractors to do all that we can to minimise the inconvenience to those neighbouring the new development.”
Similar to other new education campus projects elsewhere, the challenge of rising costs and supply challenges has led to a move away from the formal ‘Passivhaus Classic’ energy efficiency standard for the new facility.
The new development will still meet energy markers including those laid out by the Scottish Government to support wider net-zero ambitions and be a high quality, low carbon and an innovative educational setting for learners and visitors.
Councillor Marie Burns added: “We thoroughly explored the Passivhaus option, however for a project of this scale it is too costly and challenging to procure the necessary suppliers.
“We remain absolutely committed to creating an outstanding educational and community campus that will be built to high energy-efficiency standards and will be a flagship community facility for the people of Ardrossan and the wider Three Towns communities.”
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