Work to demolish part of the building at the rear of a historic former Irvine hotel is expected to be complete this month, according to council officials.

North Ayrshire bosses say they anticipate that work to make the former King’s Armson High Street safe is due to be completed, and the adjacent Chapel Lane to re-opened, before the end of April.

The lane has been closed for six weeks after winter storms caused further damage to the decaying building.

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “The works are of a specialist nature due to the age of the building and location of the works, as well the need for complex service disconnections and asbestos removal.

“The demolition will not impact upon the front section of the building facing the High Street and will not adversely impact proposals to redevelop the building into six new homes as part of North Ayrshire Council’s ambitious housing programme.

“The six amenity properties will be a mix of one and two-bedroom homes with redevelopment work currently scheduled to get under way later this year.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and are seeking to progress the demolition works as quickly as possible in order to re-open the lane.”

The Times previously revealed that the historic high street pub had been bought by council bosses to house elderly residents.

Council chiefs confirmed the purchase last year - three years after community councillors in the town first raised concern, during the High Street regeneration works, about the state of the building.

When the Times revealed the plans for the building in 2020, Irvine West Cllr Ian Clarkson said: “I am pleased that we, as a council are carrying out a study to see if the building could be used.

“We are always looking at ways to bring more people, and jobs, into the Town Centre, and this could allow us to do that.

"There is also the physical look of the building, and we would ensure it was well looked after.”

Council leader Joe Cullinane said: “It wasn’t attracting any interest from prospective buyers therefore without council intervention it would have continued to lay empty.

“The owner in this occasion was willing to sell to the council and has in fact sold the building below the calculated market value.

"Under the Strategic Housing Investment Plan we can purchase then develop the property into town centre housing which will assist with regeneration of the town.

“It also means it will attract a Scottish Government grant while the rest of the funding will come from the affordable housing account, meaning there has been no contribution from the council’s general fund towards this project.

Councillor Cullinane added: “The purchase of the King’s is a success story.”