Almost three hundred people attended the third Annual Public Meeting of Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, held at the Menzies Hotel in Irvine today.

The audience - made up largely of business people, community groups and interested individuals - heard Chief Executive Patrick Wiggins outline the significant progress made during the past 12 months, in particular around projects including Kilwinning Main Street, The Ayrshire golf course and complex, and Annickbank Business Park.


The meeting also heard two major announcements:

* That lengthy negotiations to create a Joint Venture between the company and Clydeport to develop the former Shell site beside Ardrossan Marina were about to reach a successful conclusion, with an announcement on joint development plans to hugely expand the Marina, create hundreds of new homes and high-quality commercial and leisure space, "imminent."

* That the office block on the former Nacco site at Irvine is to be used to help "hothouse" new-start businesses through the creation of flexible, inexpensive, and supportive working space for up to 20 new ventures, with additional support services likely to include training, events and conferences.

At the meeting, people were also given the opportunity to ask one-to-one questions at a number of information sites within the venue, covering topics as diverse as The Ayrshire, 'business infrastructure', 'town centre regeneration, and plans for 'our coast'.

(GK)