Ardrossan South Beach will see “absolutely brilliant” upgrades as a plan to create attractions including crazy golf and a café has been approved.

The beach’s toilet block as well as an adjacent plot of land are now in the ownership of the community thanks to the Ardrossan Community Development Trust’s application to North Ayrshire Council.

Planning on giving a new lease of life to the area, the group will demolish the old toilet block and replace it with a café and community hub, as well as add new features to the beach.

Work on the £1.2 million project will kick off soon with the crazy golf alongside a hedge maze, sand play area, and accessible improvements to the play park aiming to be delivered by this summer.

Chairperson of the trust, Scott Mould, said: “We’re adding fully inclusive elements to the play park that’s already there, so we’re going to add onto that some additional features which will suit everybody – disabled and able-bodied alike.

“The intention is that later this year that toilet block will be demolished. We will look at putting something temporary in place to allow for a toilet provision while that happens.

“There will be a café at the front for people to use and there will be a Changing Places toilet – the Rolls Royce of disabled toilets – and two other toilets installed, and at the back of that will be a community hub where you can pick up a deck chair or clubs for the crazy golf or a disability wheeler.

“Over and above that we are putting in seven beach huts that will sit on the beachfront as well.

“They’ll all have different colours and we’re going to rent them out to people by the season. They’ll be open to photographers, local businesses – whoever wants to sell from them.

“It’s going to be absolutely brilliant.”

Once the aforementioned upgrades and builds are complete, there are plans for a further £1.5 million worth of projects for the beach that already have planning permission but have not yet secured funding.

With the port being the most popular in Scotland, the trust hopes these improvements will make Ardrossan a better place for visitors and residents alike.

Scott added: “For the first time people using South Beach won’t be forced away if they want a cup of coffee, or a juice, or an ice cream.

“We’ve got the busiest ferry port in Scotland and nobody stops, so we want to change that.”

Profits from the current projects will go towards future community developments which residents can have their say on.

To become a member of the Ardrossan Community Development Trust newsletters and make sure you have your say, you can do so for free by calling 01294-608177 or emailing developmentofficer@ardrossantrust.org.