The ongoing campaign to bring a pedestrian crossing to the south side of Largs has moved a step closer.

Transport Scotland and maintenance providers Scotland Transerv met up with safety campaigners on Irvine Road to discuss the way forward.

Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson was also in attendance, and said: “Transport Scotland and Scotland Transerv met with local safety campaigner Tiffany Irvin and myself to discuss the placing of a pedestrian crossing on the A78 Irvine Road near Douglas Park and Anderson Park, near May Street.

“Tiffany has been working with Douglas Park Nursery, Douglas Park Bowling Club, Largs Tennis Club, local parents and older people to garner support and already secured 500 signatures and detailed the necessity of securing a safe pedestrian crossing, a measure I believe is long overdue.” George Henry, road safety manager, Transport Scotland, said: “We had a constructive on-site meeting and will be giving serious consideration to this matter and look forward to reporting back to Mr Gibson and Ms Irvin with our proposals later this year.” Earlier this year, Tiffany helped set up a petition via the Change.org website to show support for traffic lights to be installed near Douglas Park and May Street, as residents had voiced growing unease at the increasing volume of articulated lorries’ travelling through Largs.

The petition states: “The A78 is very busy, traffic moves quickly and there is currently no safe place for pedestrians to cross. There are several groups and clubs in the area which find it difficult to cross the road, such as Douglas Park Bowling Club and Largs Tennis Club.

There is also Douglas Park nursery with 3-5 year olds struggling to cross the road without having to walk 0.38 miles to the nearest pedestrian crossing.

“A lot of the pedestrians trying to cross the road are young children from the nursery and tennis club and elderly trying to access the bowling club. There are also two parks, one on either side of the main road, and these cannot be accessed by the public as there is no safe crossing point nearby.

“There is also a risk here to the public as traffic tends to speed up as it begins to exit the town, meaning traffic on this part of the A78 is travelling much faster and poses more of a danger to pedestrians trying to cross the road.

The petition adds: “Having a crossing in place next to the parks near May Street would benefit all of the clubs in the area as well as providing the nursery with an opportunity to use the areas around them to participate in outdoor active learning.

"It would also allow all members of the public to cross easily, therefore being able to access the parks including the children’s play park and access to the beach via May Street.”