Irvine Bay is an area of outstanding natural beauty spanning 14 miles of sandy coastline with the four seaside towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston and Irvine. It also includes Kilwinning, an old abbey town and now a popular commuter town.

Irvine Bay URC was established in 2006 as a company limited by guarantee. It has an 11 member board consisting of five public sector members, five private sector members and an independent Chair, Baroness Ford of Cunninghame. They are determined to work with those who share their vision and passion for sustainable urban regeneration of Irvine Bay.

Irvine Bay’s greatest asset is the bay itself. Much of the coast is lined with attractive beaches and yet the towns turn their back on the sea. Irvine is cut off from the harbour and its beach by the railway and even Saltcoats, which grew up as a resort, seems to treat the coast as if it were the back of the town. There is therefore a need to turn the towns back towards the sea by using the coast as the thread that links them together through the creation of a coastal park.

Landmark Developments, the development of each of the headlands along the coast, will include a series of high-quality landmark schemes. The aim of the landmark developments is to punctuate views along the coast to link the area together and create a very prominent symbol of regeneration.

They include:

• Ardrossan Marina: a residential tower to create a landmark on the marina

• Saltcoats Pier: the development of the pier (in the future to include the supermarkets)

• Stevenston Jetty: an extreme sports centre with a tall mast structure

• Coast Walkway: a key issue is to resolve access difficulties that make some parts of the coast hard to access. This will include access improvements as part of the town masterplans, however the most important project is the Mudflats walk

• Public Spaces: developments, coastal beacons and walkways should be knitted through a series of public spaces that create attractive areas for walking and recreation.

For further information, contact Brian MacDonald, Regeneration Director, macdonald@irvinebayurc.co.uk