ScottishArchitecture.com

Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, which was set up in late 2006, is one of Scotland’s second generation of Urban Regeneration Companies. Along with Scotland's other URC's, its objectives are shaped by the Scottish Government's strategic regeneration policy statement ‘People and Place’, published in February 2006.

Irvine Bay is the largest URC in terms of its land mass.  Its boundaries also enclose an area of outstanding natural beauty spanning 14 miles of sandy coastline, and encompassing the four seaside towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston and Irvine and the abbey town of Kilwinning.

The area has a rich industrial and coastal heritage, but has faced major decline in recent years. Since the heyday of Victorian industrialisation and the new town developments of the 1970s, fortunes in the area have been mixed. Like Scotland as a whole, the loss of heavy industries has gradually changed the economic landscape – and more recently, the decline steepened as the area lost 35% of its manufacturing jobs between 1998 and 2003.

Working with its funding partners the Scottish Government, North Ayrshire Council, Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire, and many other partners from the public and private sectors, Irvine Bay URC has embarked on an extensive 12-year programme to transform the area.  The regeneration is set to bring investment and strong economic growth to the coastal towns of north Ayrshire, creating vibrant communities, new job opportunities and a high quality of life in this attractive area of Scotland. 

Focusing on the Future
The immediate challenges include:

• A declining and aging population.
• A shrinking employment base, particularly in traditional manufacturing.
• A lack of investment in the physical built environment.
• High levels of unemployment.
• Low skills base with limited levels of enterprise.
  

In March 2007 URBED (Urbanism, Environment and Design) Ltd - a Manchester based co-operative specialising in urban design, regeneration, sustainability and community involvement - completed its first major project in Scotland: the development of a vision for the five towns of Irvine Bay.  The resultant strategy produced by URBED for Irvine Bay URC was concerned with supporting the existing economic base of the area while generating new activity based on its coastal location within the catchment of Glasgow. The strategy was based on five themes:

work: creating and spreading wealth
live: a good place to live
sea: rediscovering the sea
play: a good place to spend time
bay: changing the image of the Irvine Bay area

These five themes have been embraced and elaborated upon as follows, and they now form the basis of the overall vision for the regeneration of Irvine Bay.

work: creating and spreading wealth

The priorities are to:

• Consolidate industry onto the best industrial areas.
• Support potential growth sectors, and areas of current strength, such as energetics, aero-engineering, back-office functions, recycling, and chemicals.
• Promote tourism and the visitor economy including training and support for restaurants, hotels and other leisure uses.
• Develop business centres, office pavilions and workshops, as well as marketing sites to companies looking for owner-occupied units.
• Create a strategy to encourage business growth and new business start-up in partnership with existing Scottish Enterprise activities.
  

live: a good place to live

The aim is to establish Irvine Bay as a place where people of all ages will choose to live. Good quality housing will contribute to regeneration and each of the 9000 new homes planned over the next twenty years will play a part in revitalising the community. The new housing will be concentrated in the town centres and along the coast, revitalising existing communities and creating new ones.

One of the early action projects is the £70 million development on an 11-acre site at Irvine Harbourside to create a community of new homes and businesses on one of the most exciting waterfront locations in the UK. Other project proposals include an eco village at Tarryholme, Irvine and a waterside development in Ardrossan.

High quality and innovative designs will be important for the new homes, and these same principles must be applied to upgrading the existing homes in the area. A series of projects is also planned to improve the existing housing stock including the masterplan for the Vineburgh neighbourhood, Irvine.

sea: rediscovering the sea

Irvine Bay’s greatest asset is the Bay itself. A need has therefore been identified to turn the towns back towards the sea through the creation of a coastal park and housing at the seafront.

Some work is already under way and more is planned. At Ardrossan harbour the historic Pumphouse has been redeveloped into a restaurant to sit amidst new housing around the thriving marina and harbourside public spaces. A high quality hotel is planned for Saltcoats and a series of coastal paths and walkways will give local residents and visitors further opportunities to enjoy the coastline. The Irvine Beach Park will be re-invented and Stevenston Jetty will be redeveloped as an extreme sports centre. Residential towers on the headlands at Ardrossan and Saltcoats will become landmarks in the area, along with 10 coastal “beacons” that are planned along the shoreline.

play: a good place to spend time

Leisure provision has been identified as a vital element of the development of Irvine Bay. The coastline creates the perfect setting for a broad range of leisure activities such as sailing, golf, watersports and kite boarding. The expansion of leisure opportunities will contribute to making the Bay a good place to spend time, whether you are a visitor, existing resident or someone thinking of moving in.

Ardrossan harbour has the potential to expand into one of the biggest marina developments in the UK and at Irvine Beach Park, plans are taking shape for a new golf course and international standard hotel. The extreme sports centre planned for Stevenston Jetty will provide jet skiing, windsurfing, kite boarding and more.

Irvine Bay can become an attractive place for people to visit and enjoy. Its proximity to Glasgow and excellent transport links mean that people will come from the city to enjoy the places, the coast and the excellent activities on offer. Improvements to the built environment along with good quality shops and restaurants will attract both visitors and locals. Tourists from further afield will be attracted by top-level golf courses and the world class sailing on the Clyde estuary.

bay: changing the image of the Irvine Bay area

The need to change the way that people think about Irvine Bay is a priority. The industrial and new town legacy has left the area with a poor image. This, as much as the reality, is what is stopping new investment, and visitors. This image can and will change as a new spirit of optimism begins to pervade the area.

New standards of quality will be developed for the design and construction of housing, offices and town centre shops. A lighting plan will aim to illuminate the coastline and headlands and a series of “coastal beacons” will be commissioned by way of an architectural competition to become new landmarks around the Bay.

The 5 towns

Currently three consultants are putting together regeneration plans for: i) Irvine, ii) Kilwinning and iii) the 3 towns of Stevenston, Saltcoats and Ardrossan.  Following a competitive tender process BDP was appointed to deliver the regeneration plan for Irvine; Austin Smith: Lord for Kilwinning; and The Halcrow Group for Stevenston, Saltcoats and Ardrossan. These towns’ masterplans are being prepared by these consultants on behalf of Irvine Bay Regeneration Company.

Ardrossan



The vision for Ardrossan is as both the gateway to Arran and as a good place to live next to the sea. The developing harbourside and a regenerated town centre with excellent local facilities will serve both the existing and incoming community.

The regeneration of Ardrossan is already well underway with the recent housing development at the marina. The strategy now seeks to extend and improve the quality of this development, to extend the marina, make better connections with the rest of the town and to substantially increase the number of people living in the town centre. A new supermarket has recently opened, public realm work will improve the main street and new housing will follow.

A new £5 million health centre with a doctor’s and dentist’s surgery was also recently given the go-ahead from North Ayrshire’s Planning Committee.

The Ardrossan Harbour health centre, which has been designed by Reiach and Hall Architects, will replace the existing South Beach surgery. Offering a GPs practice with nine consulting rooms, and a Dental Clinic with two surgeries, the new centre is due to open in the summer of 2009.

The Reiach & Hall design is set to integrate a derelict, listed police station on the same site. Light and airy open spaces will be a feature of the new “healthy” centre and a landscaped garden will wrap around the building and succeed in re-orientating views towards trees and greenery, rather than busy streets.  The new health centre will also be the first NHS building in Scotland to achieve a BREEAM “excellent” rating.

Ardrossan Harbour Health Centre will be an integral part of the continued regeneration of the town and is the third development in the area by North Ayrshire Ventures Ltd (NAV Ltd) - the joint venture company set up by North Ayrshire Council and The EDI Group.

Saltcoats



The vision for Saltcoats is as a modern, up-market seaside resort – a good place both to visit and to live. The Saltcoats masterplan concentrates on turning the town back towards the sea. In the summer large numbers of people use the beaches on either side of the town and the strategy is to draw these people into the town by reinventing its role as a 21st century resort.

A high quality landmark hotel on the headland would set high standards of quality for the redevelopment of the town. Arts and culture will play a vital role, with galleries and cafes at the waterfront and in the town, new art works commissioned and events taking place in the town. Artists will be encouraged to settle here and a new business centre with an arts theme will provide much needed facilities. The seafront will be improved with high quality planting and better links to the town centre. Public realm works will transform the environment of the town centre. Restaurants and cafes will breathe new life into a town which was once a popular resort and can be so again.

Recent developments in Saltcoats


Glasgow based Holmes Partnership recently won a national competition to design a landmark housing development for a prime site in Saltcoats. The competition, which attracted 48 submissions from as far afield as Jersey, London and Paris, was organised by the Royal Incorporation of Architects (RIAS) in Scotland, and was sponsored by Irvine Bay Regeneration Company and local building company McLaughlin Construction. 

The Holmes concept was influenced by the swelling waves of the sea and the vibrant colours and shapes of beach huts and boats. The development also meets the BREEAM Ecohomes Very Good standard. This standard seeks to minimise energy consumption and reduce waste in construction including using materials supplied from renewable sources; using pre-fabrication to reduce on-site waste; specifying materials with a high recycled or re-used content; sourcing materials that are accredited from sustainable sources and which minimise the environmental impact of manufacturing; and sourcing materials locally to reduce transport emissions. In addition, the design seeks to influence the way in which the occupiers of the houses conserve energy and minimise waste.

Irvine



There are huge opportunities in Irvine partly because the ‘New Town’ was never completely finished. There are plans to develop the beach and harbourside, as well as a dynamic new vision for the town centre.  Part of this vision is to overcome the ‘New Town’ legacy and to restore its historic character. The amount of housing around the town centre will be significantly increased and the shopping centre itself will be redeveloped and revitalised.

Extensive plans for Irvine include:

• New residential development around Irvine Harbour.
• Environmental works at the beach park to create a more traditional park.
• A new high quality links golf course with a landmark hotel.
• The redevelopment of the Magnum Centre, with a replacement facility provided in the town centre.
• The expansion of the Maritime Museum.
•  A new office quarter with an initial 2000m2 pavilion.
• Public realm improvements to the High Street.
• The development of an eco village.
  

Recent developments in Irvine


Urban Splash, one of the UK’s leading developers, was recently announced as preferred partner to deliver a £70 million development which is set to lead the regeneration of Irvine.

The development is on an 11 acre site at the harbourside, and plans include a new community consisting of some 300 homes - many of which will be affordable for first time buyers - shops, leisure facilities and commercial workspaces.

Tom Bloxham, Chairman of Urban Splash said: “Urban Splash is very excited to have been selected as Irvine Bay’s development partners for the delivery of Irvine Harbourside. We think the site has amazing potential given its location on the harbourside, the views out to the island of Arran and the beaches running north and south from the tip of the site.

“We think by focusing on quality architecture, creating a strong sense of place and by working in partnership with Irvine Bay URC and North Ayrshire Council, we can deliver a mixed-use scheme that will help transform Irvine into a great place where people will want to live and work. Being our first site in Scotland, the development is very special for us and hopefully will be the start of a very long term and successful business for Urban Splash in Scotland.”

It is expected that the development will create some 100 construction jobs and on completion around 160 permanent and part time jobs.

Stevenston



With the growth of the energetics industry on the Ardeer Peninsula there is the potential to develop Stevenston as an attractive front door for the industry and an aspirational residential environment for its workers. The environment of the town will be transformed, turning its focus towards the sea and using the opportunities for residential development to create attractive neighbourhoods. The vision for Stevenston is therefore of an attractive residential coastal town set within a forest.

Developments will include a series of “coastal beacons” along the beach, including cafes and shelters. A “dune” eco village is planned for the links area running down to the sea and the extreme watersports centre at the jetty is expected to attract visitors from the surrounding area and beyond. Work will be undertaken to restore the dunes along the sea front, extensive tree planting will take place and public realm improvements to the High Street will alter the atmosphere of the town. New business accommodation will be developed including workshops and a business centre.

Kilwinning



Kilwinning is an attractive and historic town surrounded by ‘New Town’ estates. The vision for Kilwinning is of an historic abbey town offering an excellent quality of life, high quality services in a bustling town centre and attractive housing with easy transport links to Glasgow and the rest of Scotland.

Plans include a combination of environmental improvements, animation of street and public life in the town and the promotion of town centre businesses.

Plans include:

• The improvement of the High Street and partial reopening to traffic.
• Regular events including fairs and a farmers’ market.
• The expansion of the College together with a green transport plan.
•  A new gateway to the town centre with infill housing and business space.
•  A new health centre on Howgate as proposed by the Health Authority.
•  A larger park and ride facility at the station.
•  The consolidation of the West Byrehill industrial estate.
•  A residential development on the western part of West Byrehill.
• The development of Kilwinning Sports Club, including an indoor sports hall.
• Improvements to the museum and interpretation for the Abbey.
  

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon reinforced the Scottish Government’s commitment to the regeneration of Irvine Bay when she addressed Irvine Bay Regeneration Company’s first Annual Public Meeting on 18 March.

The meeting, the first public meeting Irvine Bay Regeneration Company has held since it was established just over one year ago, was attended by over 300 local residents, businesses, community groups and officials at the Gailes Hotel, Irvine.

Nicola Sturgeon said: “The Scottish Government is committed to the continued regeneration of Irvine Bay. We are working closely with the regeneration company as they finalise the exciting plans for the area.

“We are determined to ensure that local people can take advantage of the opportunities created by the new investment in the area and we look forward to working with the regeneration company, local partners and the community as their vision for the area is turned into reality.”

To find out more about Irvine Bay URC click on the following link: http://www.irvinebayurc.co.uk/