Council Delivering on Ambitions of Council Plan 2023-28

South Ayrshire Council is making progress to deliver on the ambitions set out in its' Council Plan 2023-28.

The three overarching priorities of the plan are, Spaces and Places; Live, Work, Learn; and Civic and Community Pride.

The priorities focus on encouraging tourism and increased visitor numbers; quality education and lifelong learning; ensuring everyone has opportunities to take part in play, sport and recreation; and supporting local businesses.

Our events programme plays a key role in ensuring South Ayrshire is a leading Scottish visitor destination. Since its' inception in 2023, the International Ayr Show - Festival of Flight has become one of the largest free outdoor events in Scotland, welcoming an estimated 260,000 visitors over the two-day event in 2025. The event also benefitted the local economy, with a gross direct spend of £17.9m.

To further establish our towns and villages as positive destinations, investment of £1m has been made to support the regeneration of both Girvan and Maybole, which encompasses the restoration of historic sites.

As part of our ongoing commitment to provide spaces that are well connected, well designed and maintained, we invested £8m in our 'Ward Capital Projects Programme', completing works across all eight Wards.

Providing modern, state-of-the-art facilities for our children and young people to learn and develop remains a fundamental priority, with £50m being invested into our schools and early years centres since 2023. This investment has enabled the completion of the Maybole Community Campus, which was shortlisted in the prestigious Learning Places Awards 2025. Further investment of £50m has been committed to develop the new Troon Early Years Centre; Girvan Primary School; and the extensions of Struthers and Dalmilling Primary Schools.

Our education curriculum continues to excel, and schools are receiving impressive school inspection reports. Supporting young people throughout their education remains a key priority and this is reflected by the recent School Leaver Destination Report (SLDR) which places South Ayrshire above the national average, with 97.3% of young people having a positive destination to go to upon leaving school.

As part of our Housing Capital Investment Programme, we have invested approximately £120m which has led to the completion of developments including Mainholm and St Ninian's.

The progress report also highlights achievements made towards reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2045. Our flagship net-zero building was opened in Girvan as a staff base for Waste Management, Golf and Grounds Maintenance services. Refurbishment of Prestwick Leisure Club was completed in 2025 and was designed with sustainability as a key consideration. Since completion, we have experienced 60% reduction in electricity usage and a 38% reduction in gas consumption, saving approximately £45,000 annually.

Leader of South Ayrshire Council, Councillor Brian Connolly, said: "The Council Plan Mid-Term Progress Report not only ensures that we remain on track to meet our priorities and objectives but it also highlights the significant achievements made over the last couple of years.

"Our local communities are at the heart of everything we do, and the Plan provides benefits to all aspects of life. Building upon the accomplishments made to date, we continue to strive towards ensuring South Ayrshire is a place for everyone, with works currently underway to refurbish the Citadel and Troon Leisure Clubs; building of the new Girvan Primary School and Early Years Centre; continued investment in the Ayrshire Growth Deal; and regeneration of Ayr, Girvan and Maybole town centres."

The Council Plan Mid-Term Progress Report can be accessed here: https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/article/60303/Council-Plan-Reports-2023-2028