Three Towns Pride in Place Programme
North Ayrshire Council · 24 June 2026
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 24 June 2026 Council Title: Three Towns Pride in Place Programme Purpose: To seek approval of the proposed Elected Member representation on the Three Towns Neighbourhood Board. Recommendation: That Council approves the appointment of four Elected Members to the Neighbourhood Board as outlined at paragraph 2.6. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 In September 2025, UK Government’s Pride in Place Programme (PiPP) was published to update and replace the previous ‘Plan for Neighbourhoods’ programme. The new phase of PiPP includes The Three Towns. 1.2 The Three Towns Neighbourhood Board is to be formed by 17 July 2026, in line with UK Government requirements. The Neighbourhood Board is led by an independent chair, appointed by the local authority acting as accountable body, and the local MP. 1.3 The Programme requires that the Board must include at least one local ward councillor for each of the wards within the PiPP area: Ardrossan; and Saltcoats & Stevenston. This report seeks approval of the proposed elected member representation on the Board. 2. Background 2.1 The UK Government’s Pride in Place Programme (PiPP) was published on 25 September 2025, building upon the previous ‘Plan for Neighbourhoods’ programme currently being delivered in Irvine and selected other areas across the UK. PiPP is a UK-wide programme providing a ten-year investment to disadvantaged neighbourhoods. This new phase of PiPP builds on the existing programme which is providing 75 towns across the UK with up to £20 million each, totalling £1.5 billion over ten years. The programme aims to build strong, resilient and integrated communities. 2.2 The funding requires to be managed by a partnership between the: • Neighbourhood Board, responsible for co-producing the Pride in Place Plan for their place, which constitutes a ten-year vision and four-year investment plan and delivering in the interests of local people to improve the physical and social infrastructure of their community.
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• Local Authority, who will support the Neighbourhood Board to develop and deliver the plan, and act as the accountable body at the start of the programme. • MP, who has a key role in supporting the Chair and the Neighbourhood Board informing the work and in engaging the community it represents. • Local community, to shape the place’s priorities. 2.3 Each Neighbourhood Board will be led by an independent Chair, appointed and approved by the local MP and local authority. The Chair will act as a champion for the place and local people, organising engagement that reaches out into the community, to ensure decision-making is community-led. The Chair will lead the process of recruiting and convening the Board, with the support of the local authority and the local MP. 2.4 In line with UK Government requirements, The Three Towns Neighbourhood Board membership requires to be confirmed by 17 July 2026. Officers are supporting the newly appointed Chair and the local MP to establish The Three Towns Neighbourhood Board. An update on the full Board membership will be provided at a later date. 2.5 The Three Towns Neighbourhood Board will operate as a sub-group of the Locality Planning Partnership. A proposal was presented to the 10 June 2026 meeting of the Three Towns Locality Planning Partnership for the Three Towns Neighbourhood Board to be established including the MP, the Chair, two MSPs, three Ward Members and at least six Community Representatives. Following nominations provided at the Partnership meeting, a revised proposal for membership of four elected members to the Board was agreed. The number of Community Representatives will be correspondingly adjusted to ensure that the majority of the Board comprises non- elected, community representatives. 2.6 The four local elected members proposed for membership of the Three Towns Neighbourhood Board are Councillors Stewart Ferguson, Cameron Inglis, Davina McTiernan and John Sweeney. 2.7 The approach to recruiting community representatives for the Board was also discussed and agreed at the June Three Towns Locality Planning Partnership meeting. Events are to take place across the Three Towns during June 2026 for community representatives to find out more about the Board and to express their interest in becoming a member. An online Expression of Interest Form will also be promoted. The Board membership will subsequently be agreed between the Chair and the local MP. 3. Proposals 3.1 That Council approves the appointment of the four Elected Members to the Three Towns Neighbourhood Board noted at paragraph 2.6. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial
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4.1 The total award per neighbourhood has been confirmed as £19.509m. The Financial Assistance power under Section 50 of the UK Internal Market Act will be used to fund towns directly. Human Resources 4.2 Additional staff resource, in line with the Irvine Plan for Neighbourhoods Regeneration Officer, may be required to support the delivery of the Three Towns PIPP and the development of a Regeneration Plan. The cost of this will require to be met by the targeted capacity revenue funding provided under the Programme. Legal 4.3 The legal implications of the Pride in Place Programme will be considered through its development and legal advice taken as necessary. Legal agreements will be developed on a project-by-project basis as required with support from Legal Services. Negotiation in relation to any land and building acquisitions will be undertaken as necessary with support from the Council’s Legal Services and Property Management and Investment Service. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The Fund aims to support town centre regeneration and promote economic development. The development and implementation of the PiPP plan will provide opportunities to: • Reverse economic, social and physical decline and reduce socio-economic disadvantage within neighbourhoods; • Tackle long term vacant and derelict land and buildings thereby reducing their levels and impact on the community; and • Build community wealth and tackle local deprivation through the regeneration of the neighbourhoods by maximising the potential of land and assets. An initial screening will be undertaken to establish if an Equality and Children’s Rights Impact Assessment is required for individual programme elements on a case-by-case basis. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 The development and delivery of Pride in Place Plan for The Three Towns will enable the delivery of projects aimed at revitalising the area. This could include promoting and improving active travel, reducing vacant and derelict land and carbon reduction measures. This aligns with the priorities of the Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy and the commitment to reduce carbon emissions. Key Priorities 4.6 The development and implementation of the programme will support all four of the Council Plan’s priorities and strategic aims of: • Wellbeing: To transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people.
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• Communities and Local Democracy: We will have active, inclusive and resilient communities. • Climate Change: To achieve net-zero by 2030. • A Sustainable Council: A Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources on our priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 PiPP has the local community at the heart of its methodology. It aims to ensure investment is targeted at local priorities and will empower local communities to contribute to the regeneration of their areas. A Community Wealth Building approach will be adopted to the development of the Pride in Place Plan to ensure delivery contributes across the pillars of: • Land and Assets: by supporting equitable land development and the development of underutilised assets for community use. • Procurement: through the inclusion of appropriate community benefit of local supplier clauses within projects; and by considering phasing and programming of projects to create local supply chain opportunities and support delivery by smaller scale and local contractors where appropriate. • Fair Employment: by supporting the creation of employment opportunities particularly within the construction sector. Where North Ayrshire is procuring services, through our enhanced Community Benefits approach we will seek to ensure the creation of local training and work experience opportunities. Consideration will also be given to delivery through employability programmes where appropriate. • Financial Power: by investing in the town centre and leveraging additional external investment. Islands Community Impact Assessment (ICIA) 4.8 None United Nations Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 4.9 None. Consumer Duty 4.10 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 PiPP aims to ensure that local people are at the heart of decisions, through direct membership of the Neighbourhood Board and through a requirement to engage widely on the Pride in Place plan. The Pride in Place Plan for the Three Towns will therefore follow the approach taken in Irvine and be developed through co-production with the Neighbourhood Board and extensive engagement with stakeholders. This approach has been informed by engagement with Connected Communities. It will build on work to date, Locality Partnership’s priorities, the Regeneration Delivery Plan and previous consultation exercises.
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5.2 Updates have been provided to The Three Towns Locality Partnership on the Fund. Through this, agreement was obtained alongside approval for the interim governance approach and the formation of the Board as a sub-group of the Locality Partnership. Representation on the Neighbourhood Board has been informed by engagement with the Locality Partnership and Connected Communities. David W. Hammond Executive Director (Communities & Housing) For further information please contact Claire Fitzsimmons, Senior Manager - Regeneration, on 01294 315305. Background Papers Cabinet Report – Pride in Place Programme, 2 December 2025 Council Report – Pride in Place Programme, 20 May 2026