Consultation starts on key Helensburgh waterfront site

Community groups in Helensburgh are to have a say in choosing the preferred bidder for a key site on the town’s waterfront.

There have been nine submissions of interest for the vacant site in front of the new £23m leisure centre – it was put on the market by Argyll and Bute Council in January ‘with favourable planning status’.

The council initially targeted the site for retail, but in April Helensburgh Community Council saidi t would register an expression of interest ‘on behalf of the community about this public asset’.

Now Argyll and Bute has brought in Ryder Architecture to run a consultation over the site, with public drop-in sessions planned.

A letter to community groups  said: “For the avoidance of any doubt, this engagement does not align to a specific planning application or named operator of the site at this stage.

“Any planning application for a specific use or development will be subject to statutory and comprehensive public consultation in due course.

“This engagement exercise is focused on obtaining views of established groups in the Helensburgh and Lomond area to assist with the selection of a preferred bidder.”

Invitations have been sent out to sessions in the Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre on Saturday June 17 from 10am to 4pm, Monday June 19 from 5pm to 8pm and Friday June 23 from 12 noon to 2pm.

Community groups are asked to choose which session they will attend.

The 1.38-acre site is known as the ‘grey area’ because of the colour used for it during consultations on the leisure centre.

Agents handling the potential sale in January told interested parties: “The council is willing to consider a variety of options to deliver development of the site with a general preference to generate long term income from the site.

“The town’s former swimming pool building has been demolished creating a valuable development site.

“Argyll and Bute Council is inviting proposals from interested parties to develop a scheme of high architectural quality which compliments the council’s investment in the surrounding area and provides permanent jobs for the local community.”