Anger as fence is removed to give access to new campus site

And an official complaint has now been made to police by residents living next door.

The fence and adjoining playpark are privately owned by the people who live in the houses between Montgomerie Street the former Shell Oils site, including Glenlight Way, Dawnlight Circle and Stormlight Road.

And they claim up to 30 lorries a day, heavily laden with up to 50 tonnes of aggregate, have been driving past the playground since the fences were removed.

Resident Nikki Jones said: “The contractors RJ McLeod demolished the fence. They said they had permission from North Ayrshire Council.

“We had asked the council to reinstate the fence by midday on Tuesday. It is a privately owned fence and playpark, and we have to pay liability insurance to cover anyone using it.

“McLeod’s say they have carried out a risk assessment. After getting nowhere with the council I contacted the police, who are investigating.”

Neighbours say the perimeter wall was damaged by digging work (Image: Contributed)

She added: “There’s definitely a conflict of interest when North Ayrshire Council are both the planning authority and the applicant.

“Since the police were contacted, all North Ayrshire Council are saying to us is that it is in the hands of their legal department.”

Neighbours say the number of lorries accessing the site through their streets - and the work being carried out - has also damaged perimeter walls.

And they claim the work to cover the site in aggregate is causing their homes to shake.

One resident filmed a glass of juice in her bedroom shaking while the work was being carried out on the site this week.

A meeting of invited stakeholders around the site – including the resident’s association and the builders – is set to be held in Ardrossan Civic Centre from 6pm until 7.30pm on Wednesday, March 27.

One concerned resident told us: “They have opened up Mariners View to take site traffic past the private residences. I have been told that Sanctus, who are detoxifying the site, have finished at the southern end of the site, but that the north side, which they would have used to gain access, has not yet been completed.

“Mariners View in particular is not fit for heavy traffic, with up to 250 trucks heading there a week. We had 30 lorries go into the site from that spot in just one day last week."

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We recognise that construction activity has an impact on local residents, and we work with our contractors to minimise disruption as much as possible and respond promptly to any concerns raised.

“The ongoing construction traffic management arrangements for the site are complex due to the phasing of the works.

"Future requirements are in the process of being finalised, with the aim of minimising disruption as far as possible. These will be shared with local residents shortly.

“We can also confirm that a short section of timber fence was recently removed at Glenlight Way.

"This was obstructing the adopted public road and access to the construction site, and we are in correspondence with the local residents’ group about this matter."