A new “Kelburn marina car park” should be ready for next easter, it was revealed at a business summit on Tuesday.

The Explore Largs group are driving forward with their ambitious plans, and have managed to get council support to provide marshalling and signage at the new facility.

The site, in land adjacent to Largs Yacht Haven, next to the A78 trunk road between Largs and Fairlie, has room for 220 cars, eight buses, motorcycling parking, and six disabled spaces. Planning permission was received earlier this year.

It is important to address ‘the perennial parking problem in Largs’, said architect Eric McMillan at the Largs Business Improvement District (BID) AGM at JG Sharps, in front of around 30 business people.

North Ayrshire Council Roads department have been supportive of the project, and believe it provides an opportunity to relieve the parking problem in Largs.

They have been liaising with Transport Scotland and are set to provide money to support the running of the new car park facility.

Eric, who has spearheaded the project, has rejected criticism that the project is ‘pie in the sky’ and believes that it offers great hope in tandem with businesses supporting the project, and suggested that bus routes could include the new facility, to make it a genuine ‘park and ride’ facility. It had been hoped to have the car park ready for this summer, but the technical appraisal from Transport Scotland ‘proved to be demanding’.

Eric explained: “North Ayrshire roads have been very pro-active, and see this as being a particularly important step in trying to relieve the demands of parking of tourists in Largs. NAC have been liaising with Transport Scotland, and looking at monies available to help marshalling, signage, and to make sure people use the facility.” Eric revealed that Largs BID were now looking at providing a tarmac area for parking, and there had been informal discussion with bus companies, boat hirers, and getting cycle hirers involved, to provide transportation to and from the town centre.

Full story in this week's Largs News.