WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

At the risk of summarising hundreds of pages of information in those 20+ reports over the last decade, they make clear that local communities in the Garnock Valley face persistent challenges:

• A lack of local economic opportunity, especially for young people. Linked to this, health and wellbeing has been an increasing worry over the last decade.

• Beith, Dalry and Kilbirnie town centres have continued to decline - particularly the retail offer, buildings and public realm (with some persistent challenges like Stoneyholm Mill in Kilbirnie). Efforts have been made but there are more ideas than there are actions, and the slide hasn’t been arrested yet.

• A lack of community activities is a common theme across the Garnock Valley, especially recreational activities in the evenings and for young people. Knowing what’s on can be difficult. Garnock Community Campus has provided new facilities, but integration with local communities is a challenge.

• Local communities have achieved a lot through hard work by the three local Community Councils (Beith and District, Dalry and Kilbirnie & Glengarnock), Beith Community Development Trust, Radio City Association in Kilbirnie, Dalry Community Sports Club, Dalry Community Development Hub and many other local groups. But they are always challenged by community capacity and resources, however small or large they are, which makes it difficult to achieve their full potential.

• Public transport has deteriorated in recent years: despite good trains through the Garnock Valley between Glasgow and Irvine, the rail stations in Dalry and Glengarnock are not centrally located and poorly integrated with buses. Local bus services are poor, and the last bus back from Glasgow to Beith is 5:15pm.

• Much-needed improvements to the A737 Beith bypass were promoted by Transport Scotland in 2015, but implementation has stalled. The proposed upgrade to the B714 between Dalry and Saltcoats includes a walking and cycling route.

Those 20+ reports also reveal lots of positives that the Garnock Valley can build on:

• Substantial employers who are committed to the local area, including DSM in Dalry, W&J Knox in Kilbirnie, J&D Pierce in Glengarnock, Chivas and the MoD near Beith - and countless smaller businesses. Although there is no unified voice from the business sector, they are the lifeblood of the area and surely offer ways of addressing the fundamental issue of opportunities for young people.

• Ongoing investment in indoor and outdoor community spaces at Geilsland Estate and Lochshore.

• Great potential for tourism linked to history, lochs and countryside - if only the basics like information, hospitality and accommodation could be improved, as highlighted in this 2024 report.

• National Cycle Route 7 links the Garnock Valley with Glasgow to the north and the Ayrshire coast to the south. But walking and cycling links between towns, villages and surrounding countryside need improvement, such as getting across the A737 from Beith to Geilsland, Barrmill and Gateside.

• Strong community organisations as a foundation for more empowered communities and a growth of community action and social enterprise to deliver local services and opportunities, in line with North Ayrshire Council’s commitment to community weath-building.

• Friendly, welcoming communities which are proud of their history and heritage - from weaving, iron, steel and cabinet making to football.

• Antisocial behaviour and crime were frequently raised as issues by communities 10 years ago, perhaps a little less so now.