The Sixties
November 1966
Irvine is officially designated a new town.
1967-1968
The inaugural Corporation meeting is held on July 11, 1967.
1968-1969
Secretary of State for Scot land, William Ross, later to be come Lord Ross of Marnock, visits Irvine in December 1968 to inaugurate the Corpora tion's first housing project in Pennyburn.
1969-1970
Minister of State, Dr J Dickson Mabon, presents first family to move into a Corporation rental house with the keys to their home in Pennyburn.
Projects by Modern Building (Scotland) and J & T Bell, get under way at Whitehirst Park, the first private housing development on Corporation land.
Agreement is reached for the construction of the Corporation's first purpose-built factories. The Beecham Group is to occupy one of the first factories.
The Seventies
1970-1971
Agreement is reached on the new town's road network.
Ravenseft Properties is ap- pointed to develop the town centre.
1971-1972
The Irvine New Town Plan is published.
The first Corporation indus trial estates at Nethermains, West Byrehill and Meadowhead are opened up for development.
1972-1973
Factories in Nethermains are commended by the Civic Trust. Housing in Dreghorn is commended by the Saltire Society.
The Corporation completes its first house sale to a sitting tenant in Pennyburn.
Volvo moves into a factory in Irvine.
1973-1974
The Northern Approach Road is completed.
Construction of the indoor shopping centre straddling the River Irvine begins.
Proposals are drafted for Beach Park and Eglinton Country Park.
1974-75
Construction begins on Irvine By-pass.
Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Rockware Glass and Ailsa Trucks all announce expan- sion plans.
1975-1976
Minister of State, Lord Kirkhill, officially opens Irvine By-pass.
Corporation Chairman, Sir William Gray, marks the be ginning of the Beach Park project,
1976-1977
The Magnum leisure centre opens. Phase one of the indoor shopping centre is completed.
Corporation Chairman, Forbes Macpherson, presents keys to the tenant of the house in Pennyburn which is the Corporation's 3000th rental home.
1977-1978
Beecham announces expan- sion plans at its Irvine plant.
Scottish and Universal Newspapers selects Irvine as the location for the centralised production of 12 newspapers.
1978-1979
White Heather Distillers comes to Irvine.
The Eighties
1980-1981
Beach Park receives a Civic Trust award.
Secretary of State for Scot land, George Younger, visits Irvine to open the premises of West of Scotland Industrial Clothing Services.
Magnus Magnusson plants the Corporation's one mil- lionth tree, in the town centre.
1981-1982
Housing at Stanecastle Gates receives an award from the Glasgow Institute of Architects.
The Southern Approach Road is completed.
1982-1983
Phase 1 of Bridgegate Square is completed.
Work begins on Eglinton Country Park and the Scottish Maritime Museum.
1983-1984
Lord Ross of Marnock opens the Springside amenity hous ing complex which contains the Corporation's 5000th house.
Secretary of State for Scot land, George Younger, opens Prestwick Circuits' new factory.
Kilwinning Main Street is pedestrianised.
The Sourlie reclamation project begins.
The Skean Dhu Hotel, later to become the Hospitality Inn, opens.
SCI chooses Irvine as the site for its new European manufac turing plant.
1984-1985
Caley House and community centre complex is completed.
Gap site office development, Galt House, is completed.
The Glasgow Vennel resto ration project is the only Brit- ish project to win a Europa Nostra medal.
1985-1986
The Duchess of Kent official ly opens Caley House.
West of Scotland Industrial Clothing Services announces plans for expansion.
1986-1987
The refurbished Irvine Rail way Station re-opens.
Irvine wins the Urban Prize in the Scottish Tourist Board's Tourism Community Awards.
1987-1988
The Queen opens Beecham Pharmaceuticals' new extension.
Scottish Office Industry Minister, Ian Lang, opens an expansion at West of Scotland Industrial Clothing Services.
The semi-pedestrianisation of Irvine High Street is completed.
1988-1989
Caledonian Paper Mill goes into production.
The Sourlie reclamation project is completed.
1989-1990
The Duke of Edinburgh offi- cially opens Caledonian Paper Mill.
The Nineties
1990-1991
Corporation promoted hous ing passes the 50 per cent owner occupier milestone.
Riverway Retail Park is completed.
1991-1992
Irvine Development Corporation celebrates its Silver Jubilee with a series of events throughout the new town.
Middleton Road, the final part of the major road network, is completed.
Red Cross House is completed.
1992-1993
The Princess of Wales opens Red Cross House.
German computer retailer Escom sets up its Scottish headquarters in Irvine.
1993-1994
Red Cross House wins seven architectural awards and commendations.
Almswall Park in Kilwinning, created from re claimed industrial land, is offi cially opened by author and broadcaster Tom Weir.
Secretary of State for Scot land, Ian Lang, announces the wind-up of Irvine Development Corporation is to be brought forward three years to Decem ber 1996.
Fullarton Fabrication changes its name to Fullarton Computer Industries and opens a factory in the USA.
1994-1995
Ian Lang, Secretary of State for Scotland, opens an extension at NACCO.
Materials Handling Digital Equipment Company opens a factory in Irvine.
Key land and buildings in Riverside Business Park are transferred to Scottish Enter- prise National.
1995-1996
The Corporation sells its in dustrial assets for #27m.
Television gardener Jim McColl and Corporation Chairman Maurice Crichton open Milgarholm Park.
The Corporation completes its 6000th rental home. It is in the regenerated Harbourside area.
Scottish Office Industry Minister, George Kynoch, visits Irvine three times to mark openings and expansions at Digital, Meric International Clothing and Volvo.
The Corporation's Community Related Assets and other properties are transferred to North Ayrshire Council.
The Corporation transfers its nature reserves to the Wild life Trust.
Irvine Housing Association becomes fully independent and buys its first parcel of houses from the Corporation.
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