People with innovative business ideas should be encouraged to come and live and work in Helensburgh. That's the view of the town's community council who would like to see the creation of an innovation centre in the town honouring the creative genius of John Logie Baird, the inventor of television.

Members say the Burgh's attractive setting, varied housing, good transport, excellent schools and shops and its proximity to Glasgow could be key factors in luring people keen to get their own businesses up and running.

Now they are to explore the idea further with the ultimate aim of creating the John Logie Baird Innovation Centre with funding from Scottish Enterprise.

Nigel Miller, a community councillor, told the Advertiser the idea was sparked in June when Scottish Government Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing called for Scottish companies to focus on innovation to build market share and create opportunities to expand.

Mr Ewing said innovative companies formed the cornerstone of stimulating market growth, and innovation was imperative for long-term growth. Mr Millar said another factor was Argyll and Bute Council's view that it needed to attract and retain 20-to-35 year-olds, especially graduates.

The council believes this can be done by providing attractive, well-paid jobs in the key growth sectors such as tourism, forestry, marine science, food and drink, defence industries and renewables.

Mr Millar said: "Apart from defence industries, these growth sectors apply much more to rural Argyll and Bute than to Helensburgh or Helensburgh and Lomond.

"Argyll and Bute Council has identified them as sectors where dynamic individuals in this age group could add real value and be engines for economic growth and prosperity. In our case we believe the proposition for Helensburgh is to provide an environment which will encourage creative individuals of all ages to both live and work here.

"Being such an attractive town and close to Greater Glasgow, Helensburgh is a great place in which to live. To make it a great place in which to set up shop and work, Helensburgh should create an Innovation Centre of incubator units to help young companies get started and on their way.

"Scottish Enterprise has set up two such centres, one at Livingston - Alba Innovation Centre - and the other at Hillington." Mr Miller outlined the ideas at the recent meeting of the community council when other members welcomed the initiative and agreed that wide-ranging consultation should start with groups and individuals.

Mr Millar stressed, however, that the idea of the JLB Centre is just that - an idea. A detailed paper on it had not yet gone to the HCC for discussion, far less agreement.