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Council to investigate Ayrshire-wide collaboration
North Ayrshire Council has agreed to investigate opportunities to collaborate with South and East Ayrshire councils as part of a bid to improve services and provide financial benefits.
Elected Members today (Wednesday 17 September) agreed to further explore ways in which services could be better delivered on a regional basis.
Earlier this year, the Accounts Commission highlighted the need for local authorities to urgently transform how they deliver vital public services to ensure they are sustainable.
Like local authorities across the country, the three Ayrshire Councils are facing significant financial pressures with a combined revenue budget gap estimated to be in the region of £75m over the next two financial years.
This means action must be taken to ensure services can continue to be delivered in a sustainable manner.
Having been agreed by elected members, it means that council officers will now build on existing collaboration work to explore new ways of working on a regional basis.
Some of the services which are being considered for regional opportunities include Economic Development and Growth, Education and Roads.
Quote: We already enjoy a good working relationship with our colleagues in both East and South Ayrshire Councils and collaborate on a wide range of matters. This decision today means that we can now explore how this can be further developed for the good of communities across Ayrshire. For example, we work already work closely on projects such as the Ayrshire Growth Deal while the Regional Economic Strategy and our Community Wealth Building approach will be at the centre of the future economic plans for Ayrshire. There are other areas too which will be considered such as developing digital skills for senior school pupils in conjunction with Ayrshire College, as well as our roads services which may provide opportunities for shared services. Although nothing has been agreed at this point, we are in a good starting position to consider how a new approach may enhance the services we deliver on an Ayrshire-wide basis while continuing to provide value for money for our communities.”
Quote from: Councillor Marie Burns, Leader of North Ayrshire Council
The Council will now undertake a programme of work to examine options for collaborative opportunities across Ayrshire and will report back to elected members at a future date.
Published: 17 September 2025