New Ardrossan Campus opening delayed a full year until 2027

North Ayrshire Council confirmed today that construction work on the site next to the town's North Shore would now begin next spring.

The campus, which will replace the current Ardrossan Academy and Winton Primary School, was supposed to open in August 2026.

And the news that construction work on the site will continue for another three years is certain to enrage neighbouring residents.

Remediation work on the former Shell oil refinery site led to many complaints about the stench of crude oil in the area - and the growing number of heavy construction vehicles making their way to the site through residential areas has angered neighbours.

How the new campus is expected to look (Image: NAC)

North Ayrshire Council leader, Marie Burns, said: “This is a very complex, large-scale development.

"The remediation and site preparation are absolutely vital and we are working with our contractors to ensure that all requirements are met, as well as reviewing the programme regularly as the works progress in order to keep all stakeholders updated.

"The delivery of major construction projects in the current climate continues to be challenging and this has been well publicised nationally.

"While any delay is disappointing, the progress on-site to date is very encouraging. We will continue to closely monitor the condition of the existing buildings which will need to remain open for a longer period.

“We are conscious of the impact of the works on local residents and will continue to work with our contractors to do all that we can to minimise the inconvenience to those neighbouring the new development.”

(Image: Billy Windsor Kinnen)

The council said the remediation and enabling works to prepare the site for construction of the new campus were "progressing well" but had been subject to delays as a result of various periods of particularly adverse weather conditions since the project began.

Remediation works at the site involve the treatment of soil and groundwater to meet the highest standards according to UK Government environmental guidelines. The work started last year and is being carried out by Sanctus Ltd.

Enabling works are also now under way and are being carried out by RJ McLeod. These works involve the installation of a revetment, the creation of a new spine road and coastal path, earth movement and other works to ensure the site is ready for the development of the new community campus.

As well as the educational and community campus, new houses, commercial developments and coastal paths are planned for development at the site as part of wider regeneration plans for the town.

The council appointed Morgan Sindall last October to complete the design of the new campus facility.

Similar to other new education campus projects elsewhere in the country, the challenge of rising costs and supply challenges has now led to a move away from the formal ‘Passivhaus Classic’ energy efficiency standard for the new facility, which was adopted for the new Montgomerie Park school in Irvine.

A council spokesperson said: "The new development will still meet ambitious energy markers including those laid out by the Scottish Government to support wider net-zero ambitions and be a high quality, low carbon and an innovative educational setting for learners and visitors."

Councillor Burns added: “We thoroughly explored the Passivhaus option, however, for a project of this scale it is too costly and challenging to procure the necessary suppliers.

“We remain absolutely committed to creating an outstanding educational and community campus that will be built to high energy-efficiency standards and will be a flagship community facility for the people of Ardrossan and the wider Three Towns communities.”

Shared community facilities at the campus will also include a library, learning hub and indoor sports facilities, including swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, dance studio and fitness studio, outdoor sports facilities consisting of two sports pitches and a multi-use games area.