RISING costs and supply challenges have meant the new Ardrossan Campus will no longer be built to Passivhaus standard, North Ayrshire Council has said.
However, the local authority stated that the development will still be a ‘high quality, low carbon, and innovative’ education setting, whilst also meeting ambitious energy targets – including those set out by the Scottish Government.
Originally planned to open in August 2026, the council also announced that the campus is now expected to open during the second half of 2027 – with construction set to get underway in spring 2025.
The remediation and enabling works to prepare the site for construction of the new campus are progressing well but have been subject to delays as a result of various periods of particularly adverse weather conditions since the project began, the council added.
Remediation works at the Ardrossan Coastal Quarter site involve the treatment of soil and groundwater to meet the highest standards according to UK Government Environmental Guidelines. This work started last year and is being carried out by Sanctus Ltd.
Enabling works are also now underway and are being carried out by RJ McLeod. This phase of the project involves installation of a revetment, 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 Ardrossan.
Councillor Marie Burns, leader of North Ayrshire Council, 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.
“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.”
