Coastal beacons

A new coastal park along the length of Irvine Bay would make the most of our amazing natural resources. The idea behind the park is to encourage regeneration by promoting recreation and attracting more visitors to the area.

One important idea is to develop coastal beacons and incorporate these as iconic landmarks in the park. The coastal beacons would be designed to be awe-inspiring and help to change perceptions of the area, contributing to the economic and cultural renaissance of Irvine Bay. A number of coastal beacon projects are already under way including:

• 'Gems among the rocks', Saltcoats
• 'Our talking wall', Saltcoats
• Beach pavilion, Ardrossan

The formal designation of the 'Irvine Bay Coastal Park' may be a few years off yet. However, we are working with partners to develop projects that will eventually be integrated into a coastal park around the bay.

A temporary coastal beacon will be erected on Ardrossan South Beach for summer 2010, the results of a Beach huts design project at St Matthews Academy.