A £17m project to transform Helensburgh’s waterfront is being pushed forward by Argyll and Bute Council – which last week announced huge cuts to services.
The authority had already committed £11m to the project, – a masterplan approved in 2012 included a ‘landmark pool and leisure building’, as well as shops, cafe, walkway, skatepark and ‘high quality landscaped amenity space’.
The town’s aged swimming pool is due to be replaced, with the new facility opening in 2019.
But this week the council announced that another £6m would be spent on the project, bridging a funding gap.
It is art of a £72m package of infrastructure and regeneration spending announced by the council yesterday, with money from reserves being added to the existing capital expenditure budget, which comes from ring-fenced grants, borrowing and the sale of council property.
Helensburgh and Lomond area committee chair Gary Mulvaney said: “We have identified a £17m scheme which will see Helensburgh Pier transformed, with new flood defences, a new swimming pool and leisure centre and improvements to the car park and public spaces.
“We are already seeing the great economic benefits of the town centre regeneration work, with more people coming to Helensburgh to spend their money and, crucially, private sector investment and new shops opening their doors.
“The waterfront project is the final piece of the jigsaw which will make Helensburgh an even more attractive place for people to live, work, visit and invest.
“We will now be looking at the best way of getting the designs agreed and the project tendered and spades in the ground.”
A total of £3m will be spent on regenerating the Mid-Argyll area, which includes Lochgilphead, where the council is based, while £2m is being allocated to an asset management and investment fund and £1m set aside for attracting inward investment.
Initial proposals for Helensburgh’s pier and waterfront area were drawn up in 2011 but the masterplan was not finally approved until November 2012.
Sainsbury’s are thought to still own part of the pier car park area.
Is it Sainsbury or Aldi? And where is the car parking?
Sainsburys still own the old Mariners Site but wanted to move further along to the new proposed block of large shop units(Which the town badly needs to attract large Multiple retailers)but they have as far as Im aware currently stalled and are unsure what they are going to do.The Car parking will be behind the new block of shops and at the front of the site.Hopefully it wont reduce much as Mr Cadona is no longer there.
Or will Sainsbury just sell it to the highest bidder? parking is the key for any supermarket, certainly, and I thought the council was going to make the old gas tank site available – park and ride from Waitrose, maybe???
It should be noted the Pool building is larger as it also has a Leisure Centre which will be very welcome as the town has needed a Leisure Centre for many years and will no doubt be a great addition to The Town Centre and will be well used.