ARDROSSAN’S new super school - part of the £150 million redevelopment of the town’s North Shore - could be underwater by the time some of its new pupils are teenagers, according to a recent study.

However, council bosses have stood firm on their decision to build the campus at the potentially vulnerable shorefront site.

A ‘risk map’ produced by Climate Central - an independent organisation of leading scientists and journalists who research climate change and its impact on the public - shows swathes of Ayrshire’s coastline submerged in rising sea water within decades.

The environmental study projects much of Ardrossan Harbour - including the ferry terminal, railway station and Asda supermarket - to be underwater by 2080.

South Beach and Stevenston beach are also - unsurprisingly - expected to be affected, while the former outdoor pool in Saltcoats could be consumed by rising sea levels by the end of this decade.

But it is the location of the new education and community campus at the former Shell Oil site on the North Shore that should be of most concern to Three Towns residents.

READ MORE: 'Unlikely' new Ardrossan school campus will meet August 2025 opening date

Last month, the Herald exclusively revealed that work on the new school has been delayed, with North Ayrshire Council confirming it is now “unlikely [to] open on its previously-expected date of August 2025”.

Remediation work was due to start this summer, to enable construction of the new campus to begin in 2023. However, a near-£23 million tender for the initial enabling works has yet to be awarded.

In response to the recent Climate Central study, a spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council said: “Current predictions are that by the 2090s, the sea level in the Firth of Clyde could rise by a maximum of around 0.55m in a medium greenhouse gas emissions scenario.

“Scotland has introduced a risk-based flood risk management plan which is renewed every six years and identifies issues and attempts to address them based on the benefits of protecting ‘at risk’ assets.

“The Ayrshire Shoreline Management Plan recommends a long-term policy of ‘holding the line’ within Ardrossan and Saltcoats. The significant coastal defences that are already present will continue to be maintained.

“Over the longer term, extending and improving the existing defences could be considered to protect properties and roads from coastal flooding and erosion.

“We all have a part to play in minimising the impact of the climate crisis on our communities.”

Climate Central admits the calculations may include “some error”.

READ MORE: These are the areas of Ardrossan and Saltcoats that could be underwater by 2040