The £14m plan which sets out to transform Irvine harbourside

Irvine's Great Harbour Masterplan has now been agreed by North Ayrshire Council's Cabinet, subject to final approval by the planning committee.

And it could signal big changes for the area with major development set to take place.

The Great Harbour is a key part of the £251m Ayrshire Growth Deal and is one of the most transformational regeneration tourism proposals for the region.

The plan sets out the vision for how the area can be developed and improved using £14million of Growth Deal funding as the catalyst.

The plan has been through consultation with the local community and stakeholders and those discussions helped shape the final document.

A report to Cabinet called the maritime mile waterfront “Irvine’s strongest place asset” as the principal route connecting the town centre, rail and bus interchanges with the beach park and coast.

But major work must be done to help make the area a success.

The route is aligned from the rail station along Montgomery Street to Harbour Street and past the Pilot House to the harbour point.

It extends to approximately 1600 metres with the waterfront pedestrian experience effectively starting at the Maritime Museum/Puffers Café and terminating at the Beach Pavilion.

The report says it is important that the waterfront celebrates its qualities and can unite and connect its diverse attractions and make the most of them.

Vital to this element of place-making will be:

1. Enhancing the waterfront ‘edge’ or waterfront balustrade as a quality uniting element to connect the varied places, spaces and activity zones within a single waterfront promenade.

2. Developing the concept of the three major hubs – heritage, hospitality and play as represented by the SMM@Great Harbour, marine and creative arts hub and new play facility within the coastal hub – beach park.

3. Developing high quality and low maintenance, street furniture and  (including bollards, seating, water-edge and boundary details) that adds character and animation to the waterfront experience.

4. Promoting community enterprise activity within ‘waterfront kiosks’ as summer franchise facilities (coffee / ice-cream/ snacks / etc) or small community spaces.

4. Making use of innovative lighting to support early evening activity and the evening economy and offer safe active travel routes and add additional character and vibrancy. 

5. Addressing traffic movement on Harbour Street by reducing through traffic, limiting visitor car parking, introducing a 20mph zone and promoting active travel including re-balancing road/parking space to improve pedestrian and cycle facilities and support reduction in short/non-essential trips.

6. Reintegration into the public realm the areas of industrial dereliction (wharf / laydown areas) and land adjacent to the slipway.

Repainting and addressing the externals to the Harbour Pilot House to allow it to be included within and upgraded landscape setting as part of the Coastal Hub and secure opportunity for longer-term uses. 

However, the Maritime Mile is more than just the connecting elements between the activity hubs.

These developments will help create the structure around which residents and visitors can enjoy and celebrate the waterfront.

The end result will be an active travel corridor connecting town and coast where events, activity and hospitality are all part of the experience and the public are encouraged to enjoy and explore.