NORTH Ayrshire is set to benefit from £480,000 of new travel improvements - including £5,000 for Irvine’s buses.

Cabinet members today (Tuesday, April 26) approved grant funding from the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) for 2016/17.

These include £5,000 for improvements to the bus infrastructure in Irvine town centre, £255,000 of improvements to Ardrossan’s Hawkhill Roundabout, an upgrade of £150,000 to the A841 Brodick to Lochranza ferry link and £70,000 for general bus stop improvements across North Ayrshire.

The Irvine town centre investment is a result of the ongoing work around High Street and Bank Street as part of the multi-million pound regeneration programme which includes the new Portal leisure centre.

North Ayrshire Council say the bus stop facilities will be improved for all users to encourage a “model shift” to public transport in Irvine town centre.

All of the remaining ‘old style’ bus shelters in North Ayrshire will be replaced through the £70,000 funding.

Where possible, raised kerbs and surfaced footways will be installed with plans to introduce a new bus service within the vicinity of the i3 Enterprise Area.

Proposals for 2017/18 are still to be developed and will be done within the council’s regeneration framework.

NAC say a list of proposed transport projects are likely to be the subject of external funding applications, which will be submitted to Cabinet for approval.

Executive Director Karen Yeomans (Economy and Communities) said: “We’re pleased with the funding package from SPT and I think it’s really important that the money is being used right across the region on projects we hope will make a big difference.

“The upgrades at the Hawkhill Roundabout and the Arran bus route on the A841 will improve journey times and the reliability of routes, while the rest of the money will also help us make important infrastructure improvements to improve bus travel across North Ayrshire.”