Council leader Joe Cullinane has thanked the hundreds of residents who will play a vital role in setting the Council’s priorities in advance of both this month’s budget and the forthcoming new Council Plan.

Over the past few weeks, North Ayrshire Council has carried out an online survey, asking people to let us know which areas should be prioritised.

Almost 800 responses were received, with residents giving their thoughts on how they felt the council should focus its resources and prioritise.

Councillor Cullinane said: “I want to thank everyone who took the time to fill out the survey.

“While we are delighted with the number of people taking part, it was really gratifying to see the effort and thoughtfulness which our residents put into their responses.

“Their comments were clear and constructive and will help inform us we put together not only the budget but also the new council plan.

“What was really pleasing is that the initial results of the survey suggest that people broadly agree with our priorities – whether that’s giving our children the best possible start in life or ensuring we build an inclusive, growing and enterprising local economy.

“There is no doubt that we face the toughest financial settlement we have ever received.

"We will now delve into the fine detail and see what key priorities emerge for our communities and we will strive to ensure that our residents’ priorities are reflected in final budget which will be set by the council later this month.”

North Ayrshire Council meets on February 27 to set its budget for 2019/20.