South Ayrshire, SCT - Postcode - KA10 7FS

South Ayrshire

One of Scotland's 32 council areas, South Ayrshire encompasses the county's southern half. There are three other Scottish counties that it abuts: Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, and North Ayrshire. The 30th of June, 2020, found 112,140 residents in South Ayrshire. Peter Henderson, a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), will lead the council as its leader after the party's members won a minority of seats in the 2022 election.

Economy

The global financial crisis of 2009-2012 had a profound impact on the economy of South Ayrshire, as it did on the economies of many other countries and regions. Despite this, South Ayrshire's GVA has been on the rise over the past 20 years, peaking at £2.4 million in 2015. The percentage of Scotland's total GVA contributed by South Ayrshire has remained stable at 1.9% over the last 20 years. The public administration, educational, and healthcare sector is the largest employer in South Ayrshire and all of Scotland. When comparing South Ayrshire to the rest of Scotland, this industry employs a larger percentage of the local population than banking, finance, and insurance do. South Ayrshire is a coastal region, but the agricultural and fishing industries account for only a small percentage of the workforce.

The Economic Development Partnership was formed in 2008 by South Ayrshire Council with the primary goal of fostering the growth of South Ayrshire's local economy for the benefit of local businesses, residents, and visitors and investors. As part of the South Ayrshire Single Outcome Agreement, the Partnership is tasked with bringing about the Prosperous, Learning, and Achieving outcomes. Among these goals are the enhancement of transport links and infrastructure, the encouragement of education and employment opportunities, the growth of the tourism industry and the strengthening of the social economy. Currently, the Partnership is divided into three working groups that are responsible for a majority of the day-to-day operations required to provide services that are directly related to achieving desired outcomes:

• Community-based education and literacies services are the purview of the Lifelong Learning Partnership.

• South Ayrshire Employability Partnership is in charge of job placement and training programs in the area.

• Social enterprise growth and maintenance falls under the purview of the Local Social Economy Partnership.

Geography and climate

South Ayrshire is one of Scotland's local authorities, and it is situated on the western coast, bordering the other two Ayrshires as well as Dumfries and Galloway and North Ayrshire. South Ayrshire's climate is milder than Eastern Scotland's because of the stronger maritime influence brought by the prevailing winds that blow in off the sea and into South Ayrshire's western coast. Western Scotland is also strongly influenced by the warm Gulf Stream. Coastal areas of South Ayrshire, including Ayr and Troon, experience annual mean temperatures between 9.5 and 9.9 °C (49.1 and 49.8 °F) due to the prevalence of sea winds. Some coastal areas of South Ayrshire, the Rinns of Galloway, Kintyre, and the Hebrides experience their coldest temperatures in February on average because that is when the sea reaches its lowest temperature. Average daily lows in February range from around 2 degrees Celsius on the islands to between 1 and 2 degrees Celsius along the majority of the Solway Firth and lowland inland areas, and from below 1 degrees Celsius in parts of the Southern Uplands and central Highlands. Mean daily minimum temperatures typically range between 3 and 0 °C in January, making it the coldest month inland where the influence of the sea is less. 

Daylength and cloud cover determine the amount of time spent in South Ayrshire's natural sunlight. In most places, the month of December is the grayest, while the months of May and June are the sunniest. The amount of time spent basking in the sunshine decreases when you move inland, up in latitude, or away from the coast. Moreover, deep glens and north-facing slopes can be in shade for extended periods of time during the winter, depending on the local topography. The decline of heavy industry in the Ayrshire region, particularly in Ayr in South Ayrshire and Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, has resulted in an increase in sunshine duration, particularly during the winter months. 

The highest parts of the west Highlands receive on average over 3,500 mm (140 in) of precipitation per year, coming close to the maximum values found anywhere in the United Kingdom, while the upper Clyde valley and the coasts of Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway receive less than 1,000 mm (39 in) on average (over 4,000 millimetres or 160 inches further north).

Communities

Community Planning is a priority for the South Ayrshire council because it is founded on the principle that better coordination amongst service providers will result in enhanced quality of life for the public (within South Ayrshire). Community planning is initiated by service providers like South Ayrshire Council, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and Police Scotland, who then consult with residents and those who use their services to determine what is most important. The next step is for us to work together to develop locally based services that can effectively address these prioritized needs.

In South Ayrshire, new priorities and governance structures were agreed upon after an independent review of community planning was conducted throughout 2014. These included the creation of a Community Planning Executive and the formation of three new Strategic Delivery Partnerships to implement the priorities identified in the review. As part of the new framework, a Shortlife Working Group on Prevention and Early Intervention has been established.

South Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership is governed by its governing body, the Community Planning Board (CPP). Board meetings are presided over by the Leader of the Council, who is currently Scottish National Party Councillor Douglas Campbell. It's in charge of implementing the South Ayrshire Single Outcome Agreement, so it has a say in the Community Planning Partnership's top priorities, as well as the agreement's strategic outcomes and overall goals. South Ayrshire Council members and staff members, including Chief Executive Eileen Howatt, Tim Eltringham, Director of Health & Social Care at the South Ayrshire Partnership, and Heather Dunk OBE, currently the principal of Ayrshire College, make up the board (which has one of its main campuses in Ayr, the administrative town of South Ayrshire Council).