A total of 202 homes are planned for the former site of the maternity unit at Ayrshire Central, Irvine.

The £50 million proposal – supported by £24m Scottish Government grant - will see a mix of general needs houses, amenity bungalows and homes suitable for wheelchair users.

The council is hosting an event to allow local residents to ‘Meet the Builder’ for the site on Monday, 21 October, at Castlepark Community Centre with appointments available from 1pm to 3pm and 4pm to 6pm.

The event will allow interested people to obtain information about the project, view the final site plans and house designs, and discuss the building works with the contractor, Ashleigh (Scotland) Limited.

To book your place at the event, please email developmentandstrategy@north-ayrshire.gov.uk or telephone 01294 324031.

Councillor Alan Hill, cabinet member for Communities and Islands, said: “This is a hugely exciting development, breathing new life into what is now a derelict site.

“It will also be North Ayrshire Council’s largest-ever development of new council homes, delivering more than 200 much-needed modern and energy-efficient homes for residents.

“Plans for the new homes have been prepared collaboratively, with the council working closely with the local community and the NHS as neighbours, with the design taking its lead from the architecture of the adjacent Ayrshire Central Hospital.”

Within the development, there will be amenity bungalows, general needs houses and homes suitable for wheelchair users.

Housing minister Paul McLennan said: “Everyone deserves a safe, warm and affordable home that meets their needs and I am pleased that this new development in Irvine will be backed by £24m of Scottish Government funding over the next few years.

“This development will help to address significant housing pressures in the area by transforming vacant land into over 200 new energy-efficient homes for the local community. This was made possible by working together with our partners in North Ayrshire Council and NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

“We will continue to focus on boosting affordable housing supply, investing over £600m this financial year, to deliver more high quality, permanent homes, in the right place for everyone. We have supported the delivery of more than 133,000 affordable homes in Scotland since 2007, over 94,000 of which were for social rent, including 26,000 council homes.”

The plans for the new homes at the former Ayrshire Central Maternity Hospital site are also available to view online.