9 October 2026 · Helensburgh Community Council
3,430 of you responded to the Council’s consultation on the Helensburgh waterfront. 95% said no to selling the Common Good land for a supermarket. Council officers are now recommending the sale goes ahead regardless. Here’s what’s happening, why we think it’s wrong, and what you can do before councillors decide next week.
Public meeting: Tuesday 13 October, 7pm, The Tower, Helensburgh
Free, and everyone is welcome. Come and hear what’s in the report before councillors vote on Thursday 15 October.Can’t make it? Lodge a formal complaint with Argyll and Bute Council and tell your councillors what you think.
What the consultation said
Argyll and Bute Council asked the community whether it should sell the waterfront Common Good land to supermarket developer Forrest Developments Ltd. The response was huge, and it was clear.
3,430 people took part. 95% of them rejected the sale.
“That is one of the strongest, most unified expressions of public opinion ever recorded in Argyll and Bute,” said Dr Peter Brown, Convener of Helensburgh Community Council. “The community’s views could not be clearer, yet the report attempts to minimise and sideline them.”
What officers are recommending
Despite that result, a report going to the Council’s Policy & Resources Committee on Thursday 15 October recommends that councillors:
- sell the Common Good land
- finalise the deal with Forrest Developments Ltd
- put the money from the sale towards the cost of the waterfront leisure centre, which is currently closed.
The report, from Douglas Hendry, Executive Director for Commercial Services, says the supermarket proposal “represents the option which reflects the best interests of the inhabitants of the former Burgh of Helensburgh”.
“It is difficult to imagine a more direct contradiction of the consultation evidence,” said Dr Brown.
Why we think this is wrong
The community has already answered the question. A statutory consultation that 95% of respondents reject shouldn’t be set aside because officers prefer a different outcome.
The land’s Common Good status is being reframed. The report says the site has “lost the character and nature of Common Good of the inalienable type”, which would mean the Council doesn’t need a Court’s consent to sell it. That is the officers’ opinion. The Council has refused to release its legal advice under Freedom of Information rules, which raises serious questions about transparency and about how Common Good assets are being protected.
The money wouldn’t stay with the Common Good. Common Good land is held in trust for the people of Helensburgh. Using the proceeds to help pay for the leisure centre, on the grounds that it was built for the burgh some years ago, doesn’t show proper regard for the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 or the Council’s legal duties in managing Common Good assets.
The case for a supermarket rests on weak evidence. “Officers continue to push a supermarket as the only viable option,” said Polly Jones, Vice Convener. “They’re relying on an out-of-date retail study, an earlier engagement exercise involving just 83 people, and a bias towards a commercial developer. Viability can’t be defined only by what a private developer can deliver or by a short-term capital receipt. Not when it’s Common Good land held in trust for the people of Helensburgh.”
What we’re asking councillors to do
We’re calling on elected councillors to reject the recommendation, uphold their fiduciary duty, and respect the community’s voice.
“The people of Helensburgh have spoken: clearly, decisively, and in good faith,” said Ms Jones. “It is now time for councillors to do the right thing and stop this sale.”
What you can do
Come to the public meeting
Tuesday 13 October, 7pm, The Tower, Helensburgh. Free, and everyone is welcome.
We’ll brief you on the report and on Thursday’s Policy & Resources Committee meeting, and ask you once more to show your support for keeping this land in public ownership. We’ve invited Council officers, councillors, Forrest Developments Ltd and the Co-operative to attend.
Make a formal complaint
If you took part in the consultation and feel your views are being ignored, you can tell the Council directly. Residents and businesses can lodge a formal complaint here:
argyllandbute.custhelp.com/app/LAP_Forms/LAP_Complaints
Tell your councillors
Councillors make the decision on Thursday 15th October, not officers. Let them know what you think before they vote.
– Local councillors
If you live in Helensburgh Central, you have four councillors:
If you live in Helensburgh and Lomond South, you have three councillors:
If you live in Lomond North, you have three councillors:
Helensburgh Community Council
