North Ayrshire Council is to investigate ways in which Millport Pier could form part of a new flood protection scheme for the town.

The Council has been developing extensive plans for a major flood protection scheme for Cumbrae.

Local residents have been actively engaged with the consultation for the scheme and have made it known that they would wish the preservation of Millport Pier to play a key role in the project.

At North Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (14 November), campaigners were given the opportunity to address Cabinet Members and ask for steps to be taken to save the pier, which is in a state of disrepair. A week prior to the meeting, the campaigners handed over a petition containing about 9000 signatures to North Ayrshire Council Leader Joe Cullinane.

At the meeting, members agreed that officers will continue to engage with the local community to develop a potential flood protection design option which involves the reconstruction of the timber pier structure.

This would potentially take the form of a steel or concrete pier structure, complemented by an appropriate offshore rock breakwater.

This scheme is likely to be significantly more costly than the current flood protection options that have been drawn up which means that further work will be required to identify potential costs and how these would be funded.

Cabinet Member for Place, Councillor Jim Montgomerie, said: “We were delighted to welcome the campaigners from Millport who spoke very eloquently and passionately on their desire to save Millport Pier.

“Officers will now investigate three different options for the flood protection scheme and one of these will look at the reconstruction of the current pier and the potential benefits and costs.”

The three options now being explored are: Option 1 - Replacing the timber pier with a rock breakwater Option 2 - Creating an offshore breakwater Option 3 - Reconstructing the timber pier in addition to an offshore breakwater.

Council officers will now take forward the three options to draw up the potential costs, benefits and economic impact of each option with a report to be brought back to Elected Members in the near future.

Mari Wallace, co-ordinator of the campaign, said: "Of particular importance NAC have also agreed that they will now include further investigation into the risk /cost / benefits associated with maintaining, or not maintaining the existing pier in the meantime. There will be more consultation to come.

"I have emailed Joe Cullinane thanking him for taking so much time to listen to our proposals and also that I hope that, after further deliberations, they will make the right decision for Millport.

"At least retaining a pier is now an option which it certainly wasn’t prior to the petition."