Plans to renovate two buildings that are seen as key to Helensburgh town centre have been revealed.
The buildings on the corner of West Clyde Street and Colquhoun Street could see extensive repairs to their rooks and gutters, as well as new windows and treatment for rot.
They were one of four sites in the town centre targeted in a £1.8m Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) by Argyll and Bute Council last year.
The council is providing £500,000 for funding for the five-year scheme, and Historic Environment Scotland is providing £1.24m.
A design statement by ZM Architecture of Glasgow lists six different owners of various sections of the first floor and ground floor properties.
It adds: “The buildings are significant in terms of townscape and make an important contribution to their corner position and location opposite the pier entrance and esplanade.
“Their relationship and setting relative to the Category B listed building Colquhoun Chambers opposite is important in terms of defining the entry sequence into Colquhoun Street, and the wider vista onto Colquhoun Square.
“Whilst these buildings are not listed, their role in the greater streetscape cannot be underestimated and both are at risk of further structural dilapidation and potential loss through continued decay or regulatory enforcement.”
It adds that two commercial units on the ground floor are ‘outside the scope of this application’ and that there is certainly wet rot in the buildings, potentially dry rot as well.
More details of the plans are on the council’s website – the reference number is 23/02143/PP .
Another building owned by people who can well afford to pay for repairs but will use council money. This building has been neglected for years and left to rot, however when free money becomes available it will suddenly have repairs completed. We have a clock tower that falling down, we have a pier that boats are unable to use, we have children who have been waiting on a scateboad park for years but nothing is done.
Just like the old William Hill building, no repairs for over 10 years but when free money is about it suddenly gets thrown infront of planners for an upgrade. How much money have the council spent on the building opposite the clock tower another one that is falling down, but yet no money has been recieved from the owners.
The CARS is a total joke, after contacting the council on several occaisions all that I have got back is the same old line “Different budgets”. The general public have to maintain their property so why should the owners of these properties be any different?