Major changes have been proposed for the leisure centre at the heart of the £17m Helensburgh waterfront project.
Including a leisure centre, swimming pool and shops, the project has already been delayed by 12 months.
Now Argyll and Bute Council officials have said the new leisure centre building should be moved to the southern, rather than western, end of the pierhead car park area, with the main elevation running west to east rather than north to south.
Councillors are also being asked to drop plans for a 150-seat spectator area, change the specifications of the splash pool, add a moveable floor to the learner pool, ‘consider the future’ of the public toilets’ and explore the possibility of including the masonry pier walkway in the project.
The pier itself is not specifically mentioned in the report, and there has been considerable concern over its condition and future.
On Thursday the council’s Helensburgh Lomond area committee will consider a report by regeneration project manager Andrew Collins which says of changing the leisure centre’s position: “A key factor in this deliberation has been a desire to minimise and/or control solar glare and its effects on swimmers and the pool environment as far as practical, and the opportunity to make the best possible use of the building’s iconic location with its panoramic views over the River Clyde, and thereby affording building users the maximum opportunity to appreciate them.”
Adding a moveable floor in the learner pool would add £250,000 to the cost of the project, but the report says that the Live Argyll Trust – which has taken over the running of leisure centres from the council – would seek separate funding for this.
The report argues that the dedicated spectator seating, as originally planned, would add to heating costs, and a multi-purpose spectator area would be preferable.
And it says that current public toilets would be ‘visually our of keeping’ and spoil views of the new building – various options are suggested, including demolishing the toilets and moving them either to a new location or to the new leisure centre building, or transferring the toilets to a community group.
Of the pier walkway, the report seems not to be based on any knowledge of plans or funding in other council departments but states that this ‘raises similar issues in terms of context, and quality as the public toilets’.
It recommends that the council: “At officer level explore internally, what plans and/or funding has been earmarked in the foreseeable future for any works to this structure.
“If there are plans/funding earmarked would the potential to include these works as part of the waterfront development deliver efficiencies and therefore the potential to achieve more of a refurbishment within the same budget.
“If there are not any plans/funding available internally then what options might there be to develop proposals and funding applications which align with the programme for the waterfront project as well as the wider aspirations for the economic regeneration of the town.”
A programme of public consultation is planned, partly led by consultant Helen Ford who had a significant role in the troubled early stages of the CHORD project in Helensburgh.
This proposes a drop-in session in March 2018 and an exhibition of the final detailed design in May – the work is due to start in April 2019 with pool opening in July 2020 and the current pool being demolished in December 2012.
The report to Thursday’s meeting is here: HELENSBURGH WATERFRONT PROJECT
Interesting ideas. I see that the detailed plans will not be available until May with some idea of the outline being made available in March. What will the councillors see this coming week, and will that get into the public domain?
In the way of these things it is all going on in the background and will probably appear fully formed, and too late to change, in May. It may be consultants rather than consultation that will make the decisions