84 INSIDER March 2020 http://www.insider.co.ukCOMMENT
Joe Cullinane
Leader,
North Ayrshire CouncilW: north-ayrshire.gov.ukA new economic
model for Ayrshire
Ayrshire is at the forefront of a new
transformational approach to economic
development. Community Wealth Building
is an approach that ensures local people and
businesses benefit from the wealth of large
anchor institutions in the region including local
authorities, health boards, universities and
colleges and large private sector employers. It is
an alternative approach to traditional economic
development that uses existing economic levers
like procurement, employment and assets to
develop inclusive and resilient local and regional
economies, with more local employment and a
larger, diverse business base.
It has already worked in other places including
Preston, Lancashire and Cleveland, Ohio. And
Ayrshire is leading this approach in Scotland.
North Ayrshire Council has started work on
a Community Wealth Building strategy and a
£3m fund from the Ayrshire Growth Deal will
be invested to drive Scotland’s first regional
approach to Community Wealth Building
across Ayrshire.
Leader of North Ayrshire Council, Councillor
Joe Cullinane, said: “It is no secret that Ayrshire
suffers from the stark levels of regional inequality
in Scotland. The Ayrshire Growth Deal presents a
major opportunity to enhance Ayrshire’s sectoral
strengths to ensure we are leading the way in
tackling climate change and implementing
digital technologies.”
“Ayrshire is at the forefront of Community
Wealth Building in Scotland. The £3m Growth
Deal fund will accelerate our work but the
Growth Deal is not just a £3m Community Wealth
Building fund, it is a £250m Community Wealth
Building opportunity.”
“Community Wealth Building can be the
foundation for us to build a new economic model
for Ayrshire and businesses have a key role to
play – we want to enhance our spend with local
enterprises, growing regional supply chains, and
work with businesses to create well-paid jobs for
the benefit of our regional economy.”
REGIONAL REPORT: AYRSHIRE
and that it will stimulate even greater visitor
numbers in the years ahead.
Taking its share of the £84m of project
earmarked for North Ayrshire under
the Growth Deal, the transformation of
the Great Harbour at Irvine will include
investment in a boardwalk along the
harbour, a community marina and extensive
redesign of public space.
This will be at the heart of a plan to
leverage in up to £100m of additional
investment in housing, community facilities
and a range of leisure activities.
Karen Yeomans, director of growth and
investment at North Ayrshire Council, says
“The total package of investment will benefit
the local community, provide employment
opportunities, and transform the area
to a destination of regional and national
significance, creating a destination that
draws up to a million additional visitors
a year. Marina facilities are to be provided
in Arran and Cumbrae, to significantly
improve the marine tourism infrastructure
network within the Clyde. We are working
with strategic partners to lever in additional
funding to maximise the impact of
investment.”
Irvine will also host a planned state-of-
the-art digital laboratory offering strategic
support to businesses and investors to
embrace digital technology as a catalyst for
growth and productivity.
The digital lab will establish links to the
new National Manufacturing Institute
for Scotland, which is being developed
in Ayrshire as part of a hub and spokeapproach to development in manufacturing.
A suite of advanced manufacturing flexible
business units as well as conference and
training facilities will be sited alongside the
digital lab.
One of the major infrastructure assets in
the area is Hunterston port. Plans to improve
the contribution of this deep water port asset
include investment for a manufacturing
centre for floating offshore wind projects.
An energy stabilisation plant to generate
energy for secondary marine development is
also planned.
An international marine science and
environment centre will be developed as
the cornerstone of a £135m investment and
regeneration centre at Ardrossan.
Yeomans says: “The centre will be
optimally placed to take advantage of its
coastal location, and investment in the
provision of a school, marina and harbour
investment offering industry-led innovation
and research into how the Ayrshire coast
and manufacturing heritage can combine to
reaffirm Ayrshire’s blue economy offer.” ■Events draw in visitors. It’s
a chance for businesses
across Ayrshire to come
together to ensure the local
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Gordon Smith, VisitScotlandHalo’s enterprise and innovation hub is part of a
£63m brownfield urban regeneration project