We are looking for your input into the latest stage of the exciting development at Lochshore. This is the site of the former Glengarnock Steelworks and covers around 250 hectares, including Kilbirnie Loch.
In 2017 we carried out a consultation which led to the vision of the site as a parkland destination with a focus on play. The land is owned by North Ayrshire Council and, after much consultation with residents and work with a range of partners, work is already underway to construct a new £4.2 million Visitor and Community Hub and active travel routes.
The Council is now looking to progress the wider design of the site which will contain new play and leisure facilities and we are looking for your ideas and suggestions on what you would like to see at Lochshore, what the park should contain and how it should be laid out.
The site already has a wealth of natural assets including Kilbirnie Loch and it is home to a rich matrix of flora and fauna, containing woodland, grassland, and marshland areas which together support a range of wildlife habitats. The rugby pitches and Loch are also actively used by local clubs, but we are keen to understand how you would like to use the park on a day-to-day basis.
A series of newsletters will be published on the consultation process. The first can be viewed here and provides further information on the project and the consultation.
We’ve now confirmed the details for the ‘drop-in’ events as follows:
Saturday 28th August
- 9.30am – 12.30pm Garnock Street car park in Kilbirnie
- 9.30am – 12.30pm Square in front of St Margarets Church, Dalry
- 2pm – 5pm In front of the co-op, Beith
This will be an opportunity to make comments on what people want to see at the site and talk directly to staff about their ideas.
We are keen to know:
- What facilities would you like to see there?
- What links and connections are important to you to make it accessible?
- What does Lochshore mean to you in terms of its history?
- Are there heritage stories that we should tell in the park?
- How would you want to use the spaces within the park to play and exercise?
- What similar places have you seen that we could learn from or replicate at Lochshore to make it a fabulous community destination
To help us find out, a survey is now available here where you can share your thoughts. It closes on September 10.
Once the feedback from the survey is gathered, the Council will use that to inform more detailed plans which will again be shared and consulted on.
It is hoped that final proposals will be submitted for planning approval by end of the year.
Increasing the voices in policy-making