COUNCIL chiefs have given their backing to a new 'Vision for Irvine’ - despite some struggling to see it.

Members of North Ayrshire Council’s cabinet met last week to discuss a long-term plan to reinvigorate Irvine and make it the key town for investment and aspiration in North Ayrshire.

The proposal, which has been packaged in a glossy 70-page report, is now due to go out for public consultation, so Irvine residents and community groups can have their say.

The so-called 'Vision for Irvine’ report contains a range of suggestions for improving Irvine over the coming decade, including dividing the town into 'urban quarters’, securing a cinema and perhaps even overhauling the Rivergate Mall.

At last week’s cabinet meeting, Irvine Councillor Marie Burns was the first to praise the plan for its “top-down, bottom-up” approach to improving the town’s fortunes, commenting: “I have been to various community group meetings that have demanded this.

“I know it will get very positive feedback and I think this is only the beginning.” However, while Cllr Anthea Dickson took no issue with the ideas behind the report, she admitted struggling with the physical copies produced for councillors. She said: “I like all the photographs, but it is very difficult to read. I don’t know how it will look on the website, but on the page the text blends in with the photography.

“On a readability it must score appallingly. In the photocopy at least, it is an incredibly small font.” Leader of the council Willie Gibson seemed confident that the version seen by the public would be much clearer, adding: “This is an excellent piece of work and a tremendous proposal. I wish some of the people of Irvine were here to hear it.

“I absolutely recognise the need to finish the work we have started in Irvine, to make it the capital of North Ayrshire.

“I get a lot of flak in my own constituency for focusing too much on Irvine, but I was elected not only to represent them, but all the people of North Ayshire.

“That makes things difficult at times, but what I’ve seen in this report is very exciting for Irvine.

The 'Irvine Vision’ highlights seven key challenges that the town will need to address in the coming years, spread across five geographical locations: town centre, beach park, harbourside, retail park and enterprise area.

Referring to the arrival of the Queen’s Baton, Cllr Ruth Maguire added: “I spent a lot of time at Bridgegate, enjoying the space as it was meant to be used. It was really uplifting. We need to keep that momentum going.” The cabinet agreed to approve the 'vision’ for public consultation and get started on forming an 'Irvine Partnership’ to oversee the project.