Council leader calls for job help in North Ayrshire

Nov 6 2009 by Lex Brown, Irvine Herald

THE leader of North Ayrshire Council has called for a top-level meeting with UK and Scottish Government Ministers to halt the high levels of unemployment in the area.

Irvine councillor David O’Neill made the plea after it was revealed that North Ayrshire had some of the highest levels of deprivation in Scotland.

This week Councillor O’Neill said colleagues were very frustrated that despite all their efforts, North Ayrshire still faced multiple deprivation. He said: “The figures are a grim reinforcement of what we have recognised for some time – that every substantial investment is needed to address the root causes of multiple deprivation.

“We are determined to turn this situation around and we think there is more that could be done.

“That’s why I invited UK and Scottish Ministers to meet with me to address these stubbornly high levels of unemployment.

“This decline must be halted.”

Latest figures show 32 pockets of deprivation across North Ayrshire, which are among the worst in the country.

The Scottish Government study shows North Ayrshire has replaced Clackmannanshire on the list of least prosperous areas in the country.

The study look at 6500 neighbourhoods across Scotland. Rates of income, employment, education, health, crime and access to services were examined.

Although levels of employment in the most deprived areas was still well above the national average of nine per cent, the figures also showed employment deprivation has fallen in some areas from 30 to 26 per cent.

Councillor O’Neill went on: “Unemployment casts a long shadow over all of North Ayrshire.

“A lot has been achieved already. We worked hard with Scottish Government ministers to set up Irvine Bay Regeneration Company and each year our own economic development activities create more than 600 new job opportunities, safeguard more than 1500 existing jobs and assist more than 650 residents across North Ayrshire into work.

“Our priorities are clear – getting people into sustainable jobs and improving educational attainment.

“With our community planning partners, we will redouble our efforts. This includes working with Ayrshire and Arran Health Board to tackle health inequalities.”