A LONG-awaited development for the town has started on-site – a new medical centre for Ardrossan.
Today, Margaret Burgess, Minister for Housing and Welfare marked the beginning of Irvine Bay Regeneration Company’s building works to deliver the transformation of a derelict site containing the listed former police station into a state-of-the-art 10,000 sq ft health centre.
The development will accommodate ten full-time jobs, create 30 construction jobs and five training places, and provide an excellent improvement for residents and a first-class facility for visitors – sited as it is very close to the ferry terminal to Arran.
Once completed, the GPs partnership will take a 25-year lease on the new building supported by the NHS, to provide a doctors surgery and ancillary healthcare.
Irvine Bay successfully secured £2.5 million of funding from the Scottish Government as part of its commitment to “shovel ready” projects.
Margaret Burgess MSP, Minister for Housing and Welfare said: “Earlier this year, the Scottish Government contributed £2.5 million from the ‘shovel ready’ programme to this project.
This additional funding has enabled Irvine Bay Regeneration to play a major role in delivering much needed services to the area.
“Bringing this formerly derelict site back into use as a doctors’ surgery and healthcare centre is a great example of how buildings can be regenerated to provide vital services for the local area. This facility will not only breathe new life into the town centre but will also improve medical services for residents of Ardrossan.”
Patrick Wiggins, chief executive of Irvine Bay, said: “We are delighted that we are able to deliver such a needed and long-awaited development for the town, which will primarily be of benefit to local residents but will also be a valuable resource for tourists and visitors.
“It will also remove what is a derelict eyesore from one of the major routes in the town and create in its place a state-of-the-art facility and return to good health a listed building.”
The Ardrossan Medical Centre project is hub South West’s first financial close – a major milestone for the organisation.
The South West Scotland hub is part of a new national initiative to deliver community infrastructure across Scotland.
Speaking on behalf of hub South West, chair John McClelland said: “This medical centre is the first project of a £400 million programme to build sustainable community-based facilities across Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Dumfries & Galloway.
“We are delighted to be delivering hub’s first project in the Irvine Bay area. We are committed to delivering a fantastic new facility for the people of Ardrossan and are very pleased that we have been able to involve so many local businesses to deliver the projects.”
Eddie Robertson, regional director of Morrison Construction, said: “We are tremendously proud to be delivering this excellent project on behalf of hub South West Scotland and Irvine Bay Regeneration and we anticipate it being warmly welcomed by the community in Ardrossan.
“Morrison Construction takes its responsibilities to the communities it operates within very seriously and we have already been in close consultation with local residents about the extent of the work and look forward to creating employment and training opportunities for local people wherever possible.”
Scheduled for completion in May 2014, the programme will help provide a range of business, employment and training opportunities for local organisations through a structured and measured approach to local community benefits planning through the long-term.
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Contact: Kirsty Innes
Phone: 01224322506
Email: kinnes@irvinebay.co.uk
Website: http://www.irvinebay.co.uk
