A MEN'S Shed group in the Three Towns has announced "devastating news" this morning (Friday August 18).

At the beginning of this month the Herald reported that the Three Towns Men's Shed (TTMS) group was considering "shutting up shop" over delays in their dealings with North Ayrshire Council as they look to expand.

The group, who are based at 11 Glasgow Street in Ardrossan, now say they urgently need to find a new home after their expansion plans collapsed.

According to TTMS members, the group was told in May 2022 that they could expand their operation by taking on numbers 7 and 9 as well.

But according to an update posted by the group on social media on Friday, those expansion plans appear to be dead in the water.

In that update earlier in August the group hit out at "all sorts of delays" to their expansion hopes - and complained that they were now "trying to function in a space which is far too small for us".

One member of the group said that only a week before bringing their concerns to the Herald, they had been told that handover of the keys for the other two units was "imminent" - only for several days of silence to follow.

The TTMS members said that as the apparent impasse rumbles on, they are becoming so disillusioned they are now "talking about shutting up shop”.

The delay even led to them having to hand back an award of funding from the National Lottery - saying that a lack of storage space had left them unable to spend the cash.

At the time a North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We are appreciative of the great work the Men’s Shed do and continue to support them in their endeavours.

“We understand their frustrations at not having formally secured new premises but we are working on their most recent request.”

On Friday, however, the saga took a new twist when the group announced that they are no longer being offered the two vacant units in Glasgow Street - meaning they are now looking for a completely new home.

A spokesperson said: "Well with the devastating news this week that the two adjacent units in Glasgow Street are now not going to be offered to us, as promised, we require a new home post haste.

"If anyone reading this has, or knows someone who has, a space/shop/industrial unit available or becoming available could you please flag it up to us.

"The sooner we get away from the bottom of the council's shoe, the better."

North Ayrshire Council has been approached for further comment.