Council officials will either have to find more funding or mobilise community support to maintain the planned Helensburgh to Dumbarton cycle path, an official has confirmed.
But a representative of the community organisation which organises clean-ups of Helensburgh’s beach and town square has said it is “very unlikely” they would want to take on the role.
An update on the process of planning the path went before councillors at a meeting yesterday, with questions being asked over the proposal for voluntary groups to help maintain it.
The path is currently scheduled for completion in the first three months of 2030 – almost 30 years after the project was approved by Scotland’s then transport minister, Labour’s Sarah Boyack.
Earlier on in the meeting of of Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee, Sarah Davies of Helensburgh Community Council said: “The community council is very happy to maintain the beach and square, but it is very unlikely we would want to take on the responsibility that is in the paper you will be voting on today.”
During discussion of the item, Cllr Fiona Howard said: “My concern is about the volunteer aspect of maintaining the track. It is a dangerous thing for volunteers to do if anything is not being maintained correctly.”
Colin Young, the council’s strategic transportation manager, responded: “There are a number of locations where community groups undertake the maintenance of routes and paths, including areas of Argyll and Bute. That seems to be quite successful if there is a commitment for group members who wish to do so.
“We do not have any external funding provided for maintenance, so if there were no volunteers, the council would have to find funding, otherwise the path would not be maintained and people would find it harder to use.
“Vegetation cutback is not difficult. If you can maintain your garden against it, you can maintain the path against it.
“We are endeavouring to try to design not just this path, but others as well, to a high standard to ensure future maintenance as long as possible.
“We have heard from individuals and an action group in Cardross on how they can support the project being taken forward, but if anybody has other ideas, I am very happy to be part of that discussion.”
Cllr Gemma Penfold said: “So if you didn’t find a community group of volunteers, you would need to find the money to maintain the path in the budget?”
Mr Young said: “Yes, that would be correct. The one service within the council that has the technical ability to do that would be roads and infrastructure services, but they have previously intimated they do not wish to be given sole responsibility for things such as cycle paths.”
Cllr Howard then said: “I can get that groups might pick up litter and cut hedges, which are not risky things, but I would have thought that resurfacing a path is risky for amateurs to attempt. Would they be given full support by officers?”
Mr Young responded: “Things like resurfacing are not suited to the vast majority of community groups, so I am not saying we would like them to take on every aspect of maintenance.
“Resurfacing is required every 25 years or so, so it is not a frequent activity. What is important is that it does not get overgrown, and if community groups are interested, there are some elements of vegetation cutback that could be suited to them.”
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