It's official - Irvine Harbour really is a 'Great Place'!
Irvine Harbour recently made it onto the shortlist for a "Great Places" award, but was finally pipped at the post by the Peace Bridge in Londonderry.
Irvine Harbour was a runner up the ‘2015 Great Place’ winner by The Academy of Urbanism following extensive scrutiny by the judging panel who visited 150 outstanding examples of good urbanism across the UK.
Judges visited the harbour in the run up to their decision along with other short-listed places, Peace Bridge in Londonderry and Scald Lane Bridge in Hull.
The harbour has been highlighted as one of the ‘Great Places’ in the UK and showcases Irvine Bay, North Ayrshire for regeneration. Funding from the Coastal Communities Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund (for the Harbourside Heritage Project), strong involvement from the local community and in particular, the Irvine Burns Club, have all been the driving force behind this regeneration. Their support has given the harbour tangible potential for development opportunities and made it an accessible and socially inclusive neighbourhood with a distinctive local character which is now being celebrated and promoted.
Patrick Wiggins, Chief Executive of Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, added: “We are delighted that the work we have carried out to date has received this prestigious recognition. Our partnership work in North Ayrshire is reaping dividends and we look forward to North Ayrshire Council taking the work forward from March 2017.”
Irvine Harbour is the site for a major regeneration project to create new housing and business accommodation close to the harbour.
The Academy of Urbanism 2015 Awards ceremony took place at The Grand Connaught in London on Friday 6 November. Other categories up for grabs on the night included European City of the Year, The Great Town, The Great Neighbourhood and The Great Street awards.