Angry North Ayrshire councillors have clashed over the distribution of cash to local areas from the local authority's capital spending programme.

Opposition Labour councillors claim the ruling SNP administration has excluded Kilwinning from any spending in the six years of the £406 million programme, along with part of the Three Towns and the Garnock Valley.

But the minority SNP ruling group has accused Labour of "political point-scoring" and attempting to play off different communities against each other.

Between 2025-26 and 2030-31, Labour councillors claim, there are no capital projects for Kilwinning in the SNP’s capital programme.

With no house building projects in the Housing Investment Plan, the Labour group claims this means that North Ayrshire’s second largest town will be left with no investment for six years or more under the SNP.

The Saltcoats and Stevenston ward will also have no capital projects from 2025-26 onwards, according to Labour's claims, but the ward does have some limited planned housing investment.

The Garnock Valley will have no capital projects for a period of five years from 2026/27, apart from a planned £6.2 million housing investment.

The Labour group's move came after the capital programme was approved at the authority's budget meeting at the end of February.

Labour councillors tabled an amendment for a review of the programme in a bid to secure more investment for the areas they say are missing out.

Labour group leader, and Kilwinning councillor, Joe Cullinane said:  “These figures will anger my constituents. How can it be acceptable that whole communities be left without any investment for six years?”

His Labour colleague and fellow Kilwinning councillor Donald Reid added: “The last time the SNP were in power at the council, Kilwinning didn’t receive a fair share of investment. Now we face six years with nothing. 

“People in Kilwinning will rightly be asking what does the SNP have against the town.”

Jim Montgomerie, Labour councillor for Saltcoats and Stevenston, added: “No one can walk down Dockhead Street and think the town doesn’t need investment. It’s unbelievable that the SNP have left us in this position.”

The Labour group's deputy leader, Garnock Valley councillor John Bell, said:  “The Garnock Valley needs continued investment but five years with no capital projects is going to hold us back.”

SNP councillor Christina Larsen, the authority's cabinet member for finance, hit back at Labour's accusations, saying: “The capital plan is a 10-year plan, reviewed every year by all 33 councillors. 

“It’s based entirely on need, as assessed by council officers who make recommendations to full council. 

“For example, over the next 10 years, £122m (30 per cent) has been allocated in the proposed programme of £406m to support a range of investments such as roads, bridges, footpaths, lighting, cemeteries, that will benefit all localities. 

“There are also one off projects such as the major flood prevention schemes in upper Garnock and Millport, as that’s where help is specifically needed.

"Also included are Ayrshire Growth Deal projects which the UK and Scottish Governments have chosen to support. 

“Any council group, including Labour, can recommend changes to the plan, which would have to be approved by a majority of the 33 councillors, only 12 of whom are SNP.  

"Labour haven’t done that, of course, because it’s much easier to play politics. 

“It’s really disappointing that Labour councillors are trying to score points by playing off one area against another.

"This is just Labour’s usual political point-scoring at its absolute worst.”