A multi-million pound investment package to transform Ayrshire has been given the green light by three Ayrshire Councils and the UK and Scottish governments
The £250m Ayrshire Growth Deal was approved and will kick-start a range of projects across the region.
The UK and Scottish governments will both each invest just over £100m. This will be supported by South, East and North Ayrshire Councils which will be investing upwards of £45m in total.
It is hoped the deal will create some 7,000 jobs across a wide range of sectors. The investment will be delivered over a 15-year period.
The deal will position Ayrshire as the UK’s leading hub for aerospace and space and sees approximately £80m being invested.
The further development of Ayrshire’s history in manufacturing and engineering will be enhanced with £60m being invested to create a range of high-quality business space to support our entrepreneurial businesses to start up and grow.
Smart manufacturing and a £12m investment to support digital infrastructure and digital automation have also been announced.
Over £8m will be invested to improve the skills of Ayrshire residents with extra support for those furthest away from the labour market.
The Ayrshire Growth Deal team – which comprises the three Ayrshire Councils and representatives from the private and public sector – has been working on developing securing this investment since 2015.
Councillor Douglas Campbell, Leader of South Ayrshire Council said: “Across Ayrshire, we have always been clear that by working together to deliver investment, jobs and business growth, we can be greater than the sum of our parts and create a legacy for generations to come that will spread far beyond our Council boundaries.
“Today marks a sea change for Ayrshire and the work to deliver jobs, growth and prosperity for our people and places starts now.”
Councillor Joe Cullinane, Leader of North Ayrshire Council, added: “The vision is for Ayrshire to be a vibrant, outward-looking and confident region that is an even better place to live and attractive to investors and visitors. We believe Ayrshire can make a major contribution to Scottish and UK growth.”
