The Future of Helensburgh’s Waterfront:
What You Need to Know

What’s the current situation?

Argyll and Bute Council has given the go-ahead to a developer to build a new supermarket on a beautiful and prime location on Helensburgh’s waterfront, near the leisure centre. This decision has sparked significant controversy within our community.

Key points about the current situation:

• The approved plan includes a large supermarket, smaller retail units, a skate park area, and additional parking spaces.
• This retail development threatens the livelihoods of local businesses and risks ruining the waterfront views that we value and that bring many tourists to our town.
• There are concerns about the potential relocation of the Co-op, which could leave a vacancy in the town centre.
• Helensburgh Community Council (HCC) strongly opposes this development and has proposed an alternative, community-focused vision for the waterfront.
• HCC’s vision includes a state-of-the-art skate park, flexible event spaces, public green areas, outdoor retail pods for local businesses, and improved parking facilities.
• The community’s preference, based on extensive consultation, is clearly against a supermarket on this site.

Helensburgh Community Council (HCC) has consistently opposed the introduction of major high street retail to the waterfront. Instead, they’ve proposed a community-focused alternative that aims to create an inclusive space for both residents and visitors.

How You Can Get Involved

The fight for our waterfront is not over, and your voice matters. Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Sign and share the petition. To register your opposition to the current plan, visit change.org

2. Support our legal challenge by donating to our fighting fund. We need to raise £30,000 by November 10th to mount a judicial review against this development. Every donation, no matter how small, helps protect our waterfront’s future. You can contribute to our GoFundMe campaign here.

3. We need to make sure every elected official in our area hears our concerns directly. Please take the time write to them to make it clear you do not want a supermarket on Helensburgh’s waterfront. To make this as simple as possible, we have a letter template to download that you can personalise and send.

   – Local councillors

If you live in Helensburgh Central you have four councillors:

Graham Hardie
Fiona Howard
Ian MacQuire
Gary Mulvaney

If you live in Helensburgh and Lomond South you have three councillors:

Math Campbell-Strugess
Paul Kennedy
Gemma Penfold

If you live in Lomond North you have three councillors:

Maurice Corry
Mark Irvine
Shonny Iain Paterson

Use the letter template to email your councillors. Remember to add your name and address. You can also send it by post to c/o Member Services, Kilmory, Lochgilphead, Argyll, PA31 8RT.

We’d be grateful if you could let us know when you hear back. Please email Helensburgh Community Council any responses so that we collate all the replies. They may be useful for us to have a record of these as we carry on the campaign.

You can also write to the these representatives.

   – MSPs (Members of Scottish Parliament)
   – Brendan O’Hara, MP (Member of Parliament)
   – Pippa Milne, Argyll and Bute Council CEO
   – Cllr Jim Lynch, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council

Again, we’d love it if you could pass on any responses to Helensburgh Community Council.

4. Attend local meetings: Participate in Helensburgh & Lomond Area Committee meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for 10th September. For more information, contact Julieann Small, Democratic Services Assistant, at 01546 604043.

5. Offer your skills: If you or your family have expertise in property law, commercial development, or can contribute in other ways, please reach out to Helensburgh Community Council.

6. Raise awareness: Share information about the situation and HCC’s alternative vision on social media and with your friends and family.

Stay Informed

We anticipate further developments in our objection to the proposed waterfront development. To stay up-to-date on the latest news, actions, and opportunities to get involved, please subscribe to our mailing list.

By subscribing, you’ll receive regular updates on our progress, upcoming meetings, and ways you can contribute to shaping the future of Helensburgh’s waterfront. Together, we can work towards a waterfront that truly reflects the wishes and needs of our community.

How We Got Here: A Brief Timeline

The journey to this current situation has been long and complex:

• 1993-2000: Various proposals for the waterfront, including supermarkets and mixed-use developments, were either refused or withdrawn.
• 2004: The “Yellow Book” report commissioned by A&BC highlighted the need for careful development of the waterfront site.
• 2008-2011: A masterplan was adopted but later rejected after public consultation. Various supermarket chains showed interest in the waterfront site.
• 2012: An approved masterplan included 2600sqm retail, a leisure centre, and a skate park. A supermarket on Cardross Road was approved instead of the pier location.
• 2020: Waitrose closed, and Morrisons took over the Cardross Road site.
• 2023-2024: A new bid process for the waterfront site began, resulting in the current approved plan for a supermarket-led development.
• December 2023: HCC unveiled its community-centric vision for the waterfront site.

Throughout this process, HCC has consistently represented the community’s preference for leisure-focused development rather than large-scale retail on the waterfront. Over the last six years, HCC has consulted Helensburgh residents about their preferences for the waterfront. The message is clear from the 4,500 responses, which dwarfs the mere 83 people consulted by Argyll and Bute Council: Residents do not want a supermarket on the waterfront.

Unfortunately, Argyll and Bute Council’s process for selecting the winning supermarket bid has been flawed and secretive. It has disregarded the views of the community and is based on weak and outdated evidence.

Helensburgh Community Council’s Alternative Vision

In December 2023, Helensburgh Community Council unveiled its bold, community-centric vision for the highly coveted waterfront site. This proposal aimed to create a vibrant, sustainable public space for residents and visitors alike, preserving Helensburgh’s natural outlook and enhancing our lively community spirit.

Key features of this visionary concept included:

• A permanent skatepark featuring state-of-the-art concrete bowls, grind rails, and more to drive physical activity and bring people together.
• Flexible event space for markets, performances, festivals, and fairs, complementing existing public venues.
• Public ‘green’ space with benches, trees, and boules areas to enjoy the open sea views.
• Outdoor retail pods for local businesses to pilot specialist and local retail concepts.
• Additional parking and coach bays to boost tourist access and spending.
• This vision was shaped by extensive community consultation over the last five years to incorporate what residents want to see at the site. The proposal aimed to bring the community’s aspirations to life in an inclusive, sustainable manner.

Early reactions indicated that the bid tapped into public sentiment. Diverse local groups like Friends of Hermitage Park, Plastic Free Helensburgh, Fun First, and the Helensburgh Skatepark Project voiced support for the Community Council’s proposed plan.

The HCC bid promised a brighter, more inclusive future for this ‘crown jewel’ site by sustainably leveraging Helensburgh’s strengths with a community-driven approach.

Unfortunately, despite the clear community support and alignment with local needs, this vision was rejected by Argyll and Bute Council in favor of the supermarket-led development. This decision has left many in the community feeling unheard and concerned about the future of our cherished waterfront.