DEMOLITION of the last of the Fullarton high flats in Irvine and refurbishment work at two tower blocks in Saltcoats is expected to be complete by the end of the year, councillors have been told.
The work is part of an investment of £10 million by North Ayrshire Council in its housing estates in the 10 years up to 2029.
All that remains of the last of the Irvine blocks – Afton Court – is a large pile of rubble as contractors near the end of work to raze the flats to the ground.
Once clearance work is finished, the site will see new build housing, including amenity bungalows and accessible homes, under North Ayrshire’s strategic housing investment plan (SHIP).
And in Saltcoats, internal and external refurbishments at O’Connor Court and Lambie Court, worth £2.25m, will include upgraded central heating, rewiring and installation of a fire suppression system.
That work, too, is expected to be complete by the end of 2023 – five years after residents voted against proposals to demolish the two blocks.
The work to tackle issues which have sparked dissatisfaction from residents – including concerns over insufficient parking, anti-social behaviour and a lack of green space – is being carried out by the local authority’s estate-based regeneration programme (EBRP).
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The Irvine flats’ demolition began in April, though demolition of the last block, Afton Court, has taken longer than any of the others because of its proximity to nearby Fullarton Street.
Recent examples of work undertaken by the EBRP include 27 additional parking bays in the Hayocks area of Stevenston last December; while in Bimson Place, Irvine, the rear gardens were cleared and fenced with low-maintenance chips and washing lines fitted and pathways upgraded in February.
Twelve glass-fronted screens from closes in Irvine were replaced in July with ramped access areas installed and bin storage areas set up.
In Dirrans, Kilwinning, parking was provided to 26 properties last October and spaces were also created for residents in Keppenburn Avenue, Fairlie in February.
Refurbishment works at Saltcoats, with an expected investment value of £2.25m, are expected to be complete before the end of the year and will give residents internal and external refurbishment including upgraded central heating, rewiring and installation of a fire suppression system.
The final stage of refurbishment will be the replacement of the lifts in the two blocks. This will commence during 2023-24 which will further ensure the longevity of the Saltcoats blocks.
The current housing development programme is on target to deliver a committed 1,625 new homes by March 2029.
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