The land at Largs Academy and the town’s three primary schools could be used for affordable housing if the new campus is giving the go ahead, North Ayrshire Council has admitted.

The council’s North Coast Committee will discuss the need for vital affordable housing in Largs and the wider area on Thursday and the allocation of potential housing sites across the town.

One of the sites, allocated at Alexander Avenue, would not go ahead should the council agree to build the new Largs campus there.

The council’s executive director of ‘place’, Craig Hatton, set out the possibilities should this take place. His report said: “If development of the new campus goes ahead then the future uses of the existing school sites could include affordable housing.” Mr Hatton will also explain that a move to ban the ‘right to buy’ council housing in the North Coast area in 2014, will be superceded by an end to the scheme for all tenants to ensure that affordable rented accomodation is retained.

In the report he said: “A key constraint to developing in Largs is the lack of available land. The geography of the town makes it difficult to expand the existing boundaries.

“This in turn pushes up the value of available land, making it expensive, and therefore not suitable for social housing development.

“In recognition of these constraints the Local Development Plan (LDP) sought to increase affordable housing numbers by allocating mainland North Coast sites specifically for affordable housing development purposes.” The current affordable housing plan will see 74 homes at Rae Court, Lade Street, Waterside Street, St. Beya Gardens, Millport and Jetty Road Fairlie in place by 2020. Some of these projects have already been completed.

Mr Hatton added: “The council is also introducing other investment programmes which have the potential to impact on the North Coast.” This includes buying back eight properties which have been put on the private market, and were previously subject to right to buy.