THE Irvine Rangers Supporters' Club have raised fears over their future and the safety of members amid repeated closures in the surrounding area.
For more than 18 months, the town's Chapel Lane - connecting High Street and West Road - has been shut to the public.
The 'temporary' measure was first put in place in May 2024 to allow for the transformation of the former Kings Arms hotel.
Work is ongoing, on behalf of North Ayrshire Council, to create six new social homes at the derelict site.
Initially, the closure was meant to be in place until the end of April last year before this was pushed back until the beginning of this month.
Further delays in the project mean that re-opening is now anticipated during the coming spring.
This is something which has long been a concern for the town's Rangers Supporters' Club, with their base accessed within the West Road car park.
The Chapel Lane closure has meant the removal of the "primary, safest and most direct access route" to their club.
Their members were among hundreds who signed a petition opposing the measure when it was first introduced.
"Timeframes have been repeatedly exceeded," a club spokesperson said, "demonstrating that what was presented as a temporary measure has become a prolonged and continuing restriction.
"Chapel Lane has long served not only as the main access route for members, but also as the safest route for entry and exit, particularly for older members, disabled members and in emergency situations.
"While the council has indicated that an alternative route exists, this does not represent a reasonable or equivalent substitute.
"This route is significantly longer, indirect and requires pedestrians to negotiate downhill and uphill gradients. It is not accessible for disabled members and those with limited mobility who are, effectively, unable to use it."
Alongside repeated delays, their concerns have been amplified by the current closure of the West Road car park as a result of demolition work taking place at the former Forum Shopping Centre.
North Ayrshire Council stepped in to complete this work following a fire which devastated the building.
More: Six weeks of demolition work begins at fire-damaged former Forum centre
"In such circumstances, Chapel Lane would have been the only viable route for members to evacuate the premises, safely, on foot," a spokesperson continued.
"Its closure significantly compromises emergency escape arrangements and presents an unacceptable risk in the event of fire or other emergency."
The club says the closures are also having an impact on membership and use of facilities.
A spokesperson continued: "As a direct consequence of the prolonged restricted access, the club has suffered a loss of earnings up to £50,000 alongside a measurable reduction in membership and attendance.
"Members have ceased attending due to access difficulty, safety concerns and lack of disabled access resulting in reduced footfall, cancelled events and sustained financial harm."
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We currently anticipate that the works at the Kings Arms will be complete in spring 2026.
“We fully recognise that the project has taken longer than originally anticipated and that revised target dates have caused inconvenience, disruption and concern for local residents.
“We sincerely apologise for this impact and assure you that we are working with the contractor to ensure that the lane is reopened as soon as it is safe to do so.
“While the closure has been in place for a significant period, it is a temporary measure and the completed works will help secure long-term access and safety.
“Unfortunately, for both safety and construction-logistics reasons, there is no alternative other than to close the lane to pedestrian traffic during the construction works.
“However, the overriding factor for the closure was to ensure the safety of the general public and the site operatives."
Share