THE new council administration has reinstated £8million of investment for three North Ayrshire secondary schools.

This week, the new Labour administration at North Ayrshire Council approved an amendment which will see Kilwinning, Irvine Royal and Auchenharvie Academies share £8million in funding.

The investment was approved when the council set its budget in February but was cut to under £6million - after money was used to plug an overspend in the Health and Social Care Partnership budget.

But at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, September 27, Council Leader Joe Cullinane moved an amendment to the Financial Performance report which would transfer £1.7million from the loans reserve fund into the investment pot for the three schools - thereby re-instating the original promised sum.

Councillor Cullinane previously campaigned for increased funding at Kilwinning Academy after figures revealed the school received the least capital investment of any North Ayrshire secondary school.

He said: “When I was elected Council Leader I said that one of my immediate priorities would be to recoup the investment that the SNP cut from our three schools.

“I am delighted that we have been able to do so within the first month of taking power.

“This is an important investment. A key plank of our aim to reduce inequality in North Ayrshire is to tackle the attainment gap that exists between our school pupils from the most affluent and most deprived communities. 

Irvine Times:

“Investing in our schools’ learning environment will certainly help do that.”

He added: “As an administration, we believe that every young person should have the same opportunities in life.

“That was the reason I and the Parent Council set up the Kilwinning Academy campaign last year and it was why we were delighted when we secured investment through the budget in February.

 “However, it was also why we were so disappointed that the SNP cut that investment by 25 per cent.

“Today (Tuesday) we right that wrong - under Labour we will do everything we can to support our young people wherever they are and I now look forward to developing the investment plans for the three schools.”

Irvine West Councillor Louise McPhater called for the schools “missing millions” to be returned during her by-election campaign.

She said: “This is wonderful news for everyone associated with Irvine Royal and the other two schools. 

“I made reinstating these funds to our school a key part of my by-election campaign and with a Labour administration now in place it is great that we have been able to deliver on that within weeks.

 “We are a new, fresh administration with our own vision, ideas and political priorities, which are in tune with local people, and we are already delivering.”