ARGYLL and Bute Council is set to step up efforts to reclaim privately-owned footways in Helensburgh – more than 18 years after talks began.

It’s hoped the move will bring an end to the days of members of the public complaining to the council about the state of some pavements – only for the council to say it can’t do anything to fix the problems because it’s not the owner.

At last week’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee meeting, councillors agreed to pursue the adoption of several paths around the town belonging to a private landowner.

The area committee previously decided to press ahead with the plan in 2001, but work could not be concluded at that time due to resistance from the landowner.

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However, it is now understood that the company in control of the walkways - which was not identified during the meeting – is open to discussion on a transferral of ownership.

Twenty-six streets in Helensburgh are under mixed ownership, with the council in charge of managing and maintaining carriageways but not the associated footways or verges.

Helensburgh Advertiser:

Helensburgh's grid is a mixture of private (red) and joint ownership (green)

A report by executive director of development and infrastructure Pippa Milne, said: “It is understood that landowners of these privately-owned footways and verges have imposed financial charges to utility companies in order that the utility companies may install their cables, pipes and conduits below the surfaces of these areas.

“It is also understood that landowners have imposed charges on individual frontages in return for permission to build vehicular accesses across the verges and footways to connect their domestic drives to the adopted roads.

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“Whilst the council does not have details of legal agreements in place it is further understood that in some instances landowners have transferred liabilities normally associated with roads authorities or landowners to individual frontages.

“It is unusual for such an extensive road network to have adopted carriageways but privately owned, controlled, and maintained footways and verges.

“It is only proposed that footways/verges that have been brought up to the correct standard are considered for adoption.

“Some of these works were carried out a significant time ago and as part of the assessment, a pragmatic approach will be made regarding fair wear and tear that could be expected over this period of time.”

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Helensburgh Central councillor Lorna Douglas said the proposals would be a step in the right direction for the local authority.

She told the committee: “We can’t fix certain roads and paths at the moment and this addresses that issue.

“People are coming to us and we can’t do anything. Parents raise issues about the safety of their children walking to school.”