Living in Irvine Bay

In general terms, Irvine Bay has a ‘younger’ population than the average town or city in Scotland. It is predicted, however, that this trend will change over the next 20 years as people move away to find work and the remaining population ages. Two-thirds of all housing is owner-occupied, with the majority of the remainder social rented accommodation – reflecting the historical impact of the social housing featured within the Irvine new town project. The housing stock is generally of good quality. Meanwhile, private developer interest in housing development projects within Irvine Bay has increased significantly over the last five years.

Irvine Bay’s town centres support a range of economic, social and community activities beyond their traditional shopping functions. They offer a range of features such as business services, transport hubs, leisure/cultural facilities, visitor attractions and local public services. Despite having a proud and rich heritage, the change in retail markets and growing competition from other centres has impacted on the five town centres to varying degrees.