NORTH Ayrshire Council has welcomed a £2.5million boost which will help dramatically enhance travel and transport links across the area.

On Tuesday, the Council’s Cabinet formally accepted a number of grants – from bodies such as Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Sustrans, and Central Scotland Green Network – which will be invested in a series of exciting developments over the coming year.

The planned works will provide increased opportunities for sustainable and active travel including cycling and walking.

At the centre of the proposals is a bid to create the ‘Irvine Active Travel Hub’ which will establish a hub in the town centre of Irvine, with satellite hubs spread throughout North Ayrshire The Irvine hub will establish a bike library and support cycle parking; public cycle pumps; public cycle tools and an e-bike charging station.

The Council will also construct a closed cycle loop and invest in the upgrade of a number of path routes to support travel into the town centre and across the town.

The satellite hubs will be located in Kilwinning, Stevenston, Saltcoats, Ardrossan, Dalry and Kilbirnie, close to public transport facilities, such as train stations, to allow users better connections with the public transport network.

The successful funding applications accepted by North Ayrshire’s Cabinet in each of North Ayrshire’s six localities include: Irvine – in addition to the ‘Irvine Active Travel Hub’ Project, £490,000 has been granted by SPT and £30,000 from Sustrans towards Irvine Town Centre Public Realm Improvements, while various projects at Annick Road, Ayr Road, Eglinton Country Park and Kilwinning Road have secured funding as part of the Irvine Cycle Friendly Town proposals.

Kilwinning – Various grants have been awarded as part of the Kilwinning Community Links to improve the cycle and path network at East Small Links and Dubbs Road.

Arran – £25,000 – split between Sustrans and the Active Travel and Transport Budget - to construct the next section of the off-road path National Cycle Network Route 73 between Brodick and Corrie.

Three Towns - Provisional award of £20,000 of an overall award of £200,000 secured from Sustrans to upgrade path links to the National Cycle Network. Grant funding of £40,000 each from Central Scotland Green Network and the Active Travel and Transport Budget will create a network of accessible green spaces between Stevenston, Saltcoats and Ardrossan through the upgrade of specific sites and path networks.

North Coast – Grant funding has been successful to take forward further construction of Fairlie Coastal Path, and a feasibility study for an off-road route between Millport, Cumbrae, and the ferry.

Garnock Valley – Funding approved for the preparation of designs to upgrade the links between National Cycle Network Route 7 and Beith, Dalry and Kilbirnie, as well as taking forward proposals for paths improvements in Kilbirnie and Dalry.

Councillor Alex Gallagher, North Ayrshire’s Cabinet member for Economy, said: “These funding awards are great news and mean we can now press ahead with our ambitious plans.

“Our aim is to produce real and lasting changes to the way in which we travel by making active travel an attractive and viable option for everyday journeys. It will enable people to be more active through making informed decisions about their journeys and access to an improved cycle network and better access to public transport.

“We hope and expect Irvine Active Travel Hub and its satellite hubs around North Ayrshire not only to have a positive impact on the way we travel, but to have spin-off benefits for our economy, tourism and the environment.”