Our strategy
Our overall aim of attracting more jobs to the area includes promoting business growth, attracting inward investment and bringing regeneration to our town centres.
In March 2017 responsibility for the continued regeneration of the Irvine Bay area will be tranferred to North Ayrshire Council’s Economic Growth Service. With creating jobs the top priority, the focus for the final 2 year programme of the regeneration company’s life is to:
- Help establish a strong platform for future economic development and regeneration in North Ayrshire
- Establish i3 as a premier business location, recognising its importance to North Ayrshire as stated in the International Strategy
- Ensure infrastructure, development plots and new commercial and industrial stock is available within i3, Irvine's Enterprise Area, to maximise the opportunities afforded by the financial incentives to business available
- Continue to promote i3 as a location, in particular, for life and chemical sciences, manufacturing and data centre businesses
- Position North Ayrshire Council to lead the continuing development and management of i3 through ownership of key assets including sites and properties.
- Complete key public realm schemes
- Deliver an economic, urban renewal and community legacy through the reinvestment of funds generated by our assets
- Ensure a smooth transition of economic development and regeneration support to North Ayrshire Council
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How will we achieve this?
Our task for the remaining two years of the regeneration company’s existence is to successfully transfer our economic development and regeneration activities to North Ayrshire Council and ensure that local people continue to benefit from the legacy of our achievements for many years to come.
To deliver on our key purpose and objective we will focus on:
- The Enterprise Area and the opportunity it represents to attract inward investment and support company growth
- The life and chemical sciences sectors
- Other key sectors will play a role too – advanced engineering and data centres both represent significant opportunities
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Routes to success
Our routes to achieving success will include:
- Completing projects that leave an economic legacy (in i3 Irvine’s Enterprise Area), town centres (next phase of Irvine town centre and a major scheme for Saltcoats) and community legacies
- Using our assets to provide funds to deliver the business plan
- Using existing resources, funding, skills and experience to leverage additional funds in order to enable further development. The economic conditions following the recession mean that direct provision by the public sector is often required to take projects forward.
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Focus on i3, Irvine's Enterprise Area
As the key development activity within Irvine Bay, i3, Irvine’s Enterprise Area has its own established business plan.
The vision for i3, Irvine’s Enterprise Area is to encourage economic growth to North Ayrshire and the west of Scotland by attracting strategic investment into the Enterprise Area by creating a vibrant, attractive, competitive and sustainable business location.
The objectives are to:
- Position Irvine as a key strategic location within the Glasgow city region with major investment opportunities
- Maximise the economic potential of the available incentives and investment in infrastructure and business space
- Realise new investment and jobs in North Ayrshire arising from Enterprise Area status
- Provide high quality development space and opportunities, set within a highly competitive infrastructure and quality environment