The chairman of the all-Ayrshire Economic Partnership is calling on UK and Scottish governments to come up with the finance to help advance Ayrshire Growth Deal projects.
East Ayrshire Council leader Douglas Reid (SNP) spoke out after the tri-council body gave an update on the ventures, including the Great Harbour at Irvine Harbourside and Ardeer Coastal Hub.
Following a partnership meeting on Monday, Councillor Reid said: “The deals are fine. It's just getting some of the money packages from the Treasury etc has taken time.
“There is loads of work going on in the background and we have agreed to lobby MSPs and MPs to make sure that ours gets over the line.
“Three authorities are very much working in unison. The Great Harbour project was talked about at the meeting and our core project in Cumnock.
"We are pressing the two governments for finance to get the projects up and running."
North Ayrshire Council leader Marie Burns (SNP) added: “The Ayrshire Growth Deal has had some real successes such as the creation of the community wealth building team and the work they are doing to support the local Ayrshire economy and local businesses.
“We need to get better at communicating our successes both to the public and to our elected MSPs and MPs.
“We also need to recognise the challenges of rising inflation and the subsequent impact on the cost of capital projects.
“Officers are working hard to ensure every project is delivered and contributes to economic growth as part of our wider Ayrshire economic strategy.”
The Harbourside and Ardeer Coastal Hub project comprises part of an expansive investment programme to secure The Great Harbour as a major regional destination.
The Ayrshire Growth Deal will commit £14 million to a phased programme of works. Some £9m will come from the Scottish Government and £5m from North Ayrshire Council.
The initial investment will deliver the ‘Maritime Mile’ which will drive the Great Harbour transformation. The Maritime Mile will create a national waterfront destination.
Monday’s committee heard that a detailed masterplan for the venture has now been completed.
The scheme was open for public consultations in March and April before being submitted to the planning committee for consideration.
Reports on the first phase of the consultation, focusing on the coastal hub, were completed at the end of March with a report set to be published in summer. A detailed design for the coastal hub, including a play facility is being developed.
A spokesperson for the Ayrshire Growth Deal said: "The Ayrshire Growth Deal is an ambitious 10 year plan to invest more than £250m in Ayrshire's economy.
"Six projects are already in delivery, creating hundreds of new jobs and attracting significant further investment from companies like Mangata.
"Three further projects are expected to enter delivery in 2023-24 and the deal partners are working together to develop robust business cases for those remaining."
Inflation is a challenge currently impacting many projects, including those that are part of City Region and Growth Deals across Scotland.
Some Ayrshire Growth Deal projects have needed additional time to develop the robust business cases required to demonstrate how they will achieve their goals within the available budget.
The UK and Scottish governments, and Ayrshire Growth Deal partners, are believed to be continuing to work together to deliver transformational change and maximise the benefits for communities, ensuring the funding is drawn down in a timely and effective manner.
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