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:

• Graham Hardie
• Fiona Howard
• Ian MacQuire
• Gary Mulvaney

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

• Math Campbell-Sturgess
• Paul Kennedy
• Gemma Penfold

If you live in Lomond North, you have three councillors:

• Maurice Corry
• Mark Irvine
• Iain Shonny Paterson

Helensburgh Community Council

This will be held on Tuesday 13th October at 7pm in the main auditorium of The Tower, Sinclair Street, Helensburgh.

The purpose of this meeting is to inform the community about the next stage of the Waterfront Development plans. We know that there were over 3,400 responses to the public consultation that was held during the summer. This level of community engagement was incredible, and we believe a majority will strongly oppose disposing of this Common Good land.

The meeting will provide the community with informed guidance on the upcoming council meeting on 15 October.

We have two events this week about the Waterfront site.

Public meeting on 30th July 7 – 9 pm at the Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre (annexe)

We were delighted to announce that Andy Wightman, a writer, researcher, analyst, commentator and activist on issues of land, power, governance, democracy and money – and a common good expert – was the keynote speaker at a public meeting about the sale of common good land on our waterfront. You joined us to find out what common good land was and why we should protect ours.

At 1pm on Saturday 1st August, we are holding a rally at the waterfront site.

Can you join us?

We want to show how strongly our community cares about keeping this site as Common Good land for everyone to use and enjoy – and prevent its sale for a supermarket development.

This will be a short family-friendly event. Bring your friends, family and neighbors along. We need as many people as possible to join us; adults, children, pets, and banners are all welcome.

Also, remember to fill out the Waterfront consultation before the 10th of August. 

Please share with your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues. Anyone can fill in the Waterfront Consultation they don’t need to live locally. 

Argyll and Bute Council wants to sell a prime stretch of Helensburgh’s waterfront for a supermarket. This is Common Good land, a space that belongs to the whole town: the pier, the skate park, the pool, the free parking, open ground for events. It’s been ours for well over a century. Sell it and it’s gone for good. The public consultation closes at midday on 10 August.

A few years ago, we asked the town what it wanted on this ground. The needs of young people came up again and again: not enough for them to do, nowhere to go, how we need to put them first. The waterfront is a space for everyone in Helensburgh, but no one has more at stake than the young people who’ll live with this decision the longest.

A group of Helensburgh teenagers share their views for the future of the waterfront and why they don’t want a supermarket, and pick up film-making skills in the process.

Huge thanks to Carina NicHaouchine, Emma Henderson and Cove Park for supporting this project.

Argyll and Bute Council has opened a public consultation on its plan to sell a prime stretch of Helensburgh’s waterfront for a supermarket development. It’s open now and closes at midday on 10 August.

This is the next stage in a fight that’s been running for almost 2 years, and it’s the one that counts. The land in question is Common Good land: held in law for the benefit of the people of Helensburgh. The Council is only its custodian. It belongs to all of us, and it needs our permission to sell it. Once Common Good land is sold, it’s gone for good.

You can learn more about Common Good land at Helensburgh Community Council meeting on the 20th July.

If you can’t make that, join us to show your support to keep the Waterfront for the people.

The consultation is your chance to say no. Here’s how we got here, and what you can do about it.

What’s happened so far

In August 2024, the Council gave a developer the go-ahead to build a supermarket on the waterfront, on prime ground next to the leisure centre.

Thousands of us objected. We signed the petition. We formed a human chain around the site in October 2024. We chipped in to fund the campaign. (Thank you. Every bit of it counted.)

The Council pressed on regardless. It refused to meet the Community Council to talk it through, then spent £75,000 of public money in court defending its decision not to consult us at all.

Then the ground shifted. Legal advice threw doubt on whether the Council can sell this land at all. The site sits on Helensburgh Pier, bought with public money in 1838, and we believe it has been Common Good land ever since. There’s no evidence it was ever taken off the Common Good account, and none that it was handed over for any purpose that would change that.

So after spending £75,000 to avoid asking us, the Council is now, finally, asking us.

Why this land matters

It’s been ours, and in use, for well over a century. A pier and harbour. Open space for community events. The skateboard park. Free parking. The swimming pool. The recognised Sea Kayak Trail. The Waverley still ties up there.

A supermarket on that ground takes all of it off the table, permanently, and threatens the local businesses that make the town what it is.

How to respond. It takes 2 minutes.

The consultation asks two things: your view on the proposal, and your postcode. That’s it.

To keep every response clear and consistent, we’re asking everyone to use this exact wording:

I object to the proposed disposal of the Helensburgh Waterfront Common Good land. I do not support any sale or commercial development, including for a supermarket. The site has not lost its Common Good character. This land should remain protected as Common Good property and be retained for the benefit of the people of Helensburgh. I ask the Council to preserve its Common Good status and ensure it continues to be used for public benefit and public use.

Paste it straight into the form here: Helensburgh Waterfront Commercial Site consultation

If you can add a line of your own about what this land means to you and how you use it, even better. That’s the part the Council can’t argue with.

Then tell your neighbours. Tell your family. Tell anyone who’d miss this land if it were gone. Every single response is a voice, and we need as many as we can get.

Six weeks. One form. Our waterfront.

This land is our land. Make your voice heard today.

Thank you,
Helensburgh Community Council

Following an appeal the application for a new pharmacy in Helensburgh will be heard at a new hearing later this month. We want to know your recent experiences of pharmacy services locally so we can represent up to date views. It is a short survey and should only take a few minutes to complete.

Here is the link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XNCT68W

Young Stars Shine at Helensburgh’s Got Talent Competition

Local performers dazzled audiences at the annual talent showcase held at Hermitage Academy

Helensburgh’s brightest young performers took centre stage on June 19th as the town’s popular Got Talent competition returned to Hermitage Academy for an evening of exceptional entertainment.

The annual showcase drew an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 150 community members, including proud parents and friends, who gathered to witness nine outstanding acts featuring songs, dances, and creative drumming performances.

Prize Winners Announced

Three talented performers were recognised for their exceptional displays, with prizes generously donated by Lomond Rotary Club and presented by club President Richard Trail. The prize money was contributed to Hermitage Academy’s PTA for the school’s Music Department.

The competition performances evaluated by a panel of three expert adjudicators who ensured fair and professional judging throughout the evening.

Community Support and Funding

The event’s success was made possible through the dedicated support of several key contributors, with funding provided by Helensburgh Community Council. Pamela Frew, Head of Music at Hermitage Academy, provided essential coordination without which organisers say the event could not have taken place. Elizabeth Lambert also played a crucial role in event organisation while managing the tuck shop on the day.

Members of Lomond Rotary Club demonstrated strong community spirit by attending the event and assisting with various arrangements, including operating the Green Room and providing additional support throughout the evening.

The competition highlighted the wealth of artistic talent among Helensburgh’s young people, showcasing the vibrant cultural scene thriving within the local community. The annual event continues to provide an important platform for emerging performers to display their skills and gain valuable performance experience.

Helensburgh Community Council is calling on the next generation of local talent to step into the spotlight at Helensburgh’s Got Talent, a live competition taking place at Hermitage Academy on Thursday, 19th June 2025 at 6:30pm (doors open at 6:00pm).

Open to pupils from both primary and secondary schools across the Helensburgh and Lomond area, the event promises an evening of music, performance, and entertainment in front of a live audience and a panel of independent local judges.

Young performers wishing to take part must submit a demo or video of their act by Friday 30th May at 5:00pm. Entries can be submitted online via the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxQwYjTz8NKvjQxgODX0ol3wEEaofWpqhckmjRSKOzupo8Bw/viewform

Selected finalists will be invited to perform live at the event, where the judges will award prizes to the top three acts. Every performer will be recognised for their efforts with a certificate of participation.

Tickets are just £3 on the door, and all proceeds will go towards supporting future community initiatives. Refreshments will be available for purchase during the evening.

Whether you’re a budding singer, dancer, comedian, or magician, this is your chance to show Helensburgh what you’ve got. Come for the talent, stay for the celebration.

We need to raise £30,000 to mount a legal challenge against the unwanted supermarket development. Donate now to protect our town’s future.

Our Community’s Fight for the Waterfront

The numbers speak volumes: over 4,000 Helensburgh residents – more than a quarter of our population – have signed the petition opposing Argyll and Bute Council’s decision to build a supermarket on our cherished waterfront. This overwhelming opposition continues a 30-year community stance against supermarket development on this prime coastal site.

Despite this clear public rejection, the Council has proceeded with their plans, conducting key meetings behind closed doors and refusing to engage with community representatives. Their lack of transparency and dismissal of public opinion has left us with no choice but to pursue legal action.

How Your Donation Will Help:

• Fund a judicial review in the Court of Session
• Cover essential legal and professional fees
• Access necessary legal documents

If successful, we’ll work towards a Community Asset Transfer, ensuring the waterfront remains in public hands for everyone’s enjoyment. Any surplus funds will support:

• Community Asset Transfer of the waterfront
• Helensburgh Skatepark Project
• Helensburgh Pier Company Ltd’s restoration efforts

Time is critical. We must raise these funds by November 10th to proceed with the judicial review. Similar successful community campaigns, like the St Fittick’s Park case in Aberdeen, show that legal action can protect our community spaces – but it requires financial support.

🎯 Take Action Now: Every donation, large or small, brings us closer to saving our waterfront.

Together, we can stop this development and create a waterfront that serves our entire community.

What an inspiring sight it was to see around 400 residents of Helensburgh come together on a grey autumn Saturday to stand united for our waterfront. The turnout at this weekend’s rally demonstrated once again how deeply our community cares about the future of this precious space.

The video below captured the powerful image of our community gathering at the proposed supermarket site, showing exactly what’s at stake – a prime location on our beautiful waterfront that deserves better than a supermarket development.

Against the backdrop of the Clyde, local musicians filled the air with song while young people showcased their talents at the skatepark. The atmosphere was one of determination and hope, reflecting the spirit of the 4,000 residents who have already signed the petition opposing the supermarket development.

Helensburgh Community Council extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended. Your presence sends a clear message to Argyll and Bute Council: our community’s voice matters, and we remain steadfast in our opposition to this inappropriate development.