LIVEARGYLL, which operates Helensburgh's swimming pool and library, has outlined its plans for a phased re-opening of facilities.

The charity welcomed the announcement made by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday (July 9) on a further easing of lockdown measures, with non-essential retail premises permitted to re-open from Monday, July 13 while museums, galleries, cinemas and other visitor attractions will be able to open up again from Wednesday, July 15.

Although the majority of LiveArgyll sites, including Helensburgh leisure centre, will remain closed for the time being, outdoor sports pitches at Hermitage Academy will be available to book from July 13 for organised children's groups as per Scottish Government guidelines, with revised hire terms in place.

Indoor gyms, fitness centres like the suites used in the Victoria Halls, and swimming pools are planned to re-open on August 3 across Argyll and Bute, initially on a restricted hours basis.

Meanwhile libraries in Helensburgh, Cardross and Rosneath, plus archives and museums, will follow suit in September and October.

A statement from LiveArgyll said: "As Argyll and Bute’s largest leisure and libraries charity, we’re at the heart of our communities delivering some of the most valued services.

"We know that demand will be high for the re-opening of our facilities and services and we are eager to get back to doing what we do best and serving our customers and visitors alike.

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"However this is a highly complex planning exercise given the reduced capacity of our facilities due to physical distancing restrictions, enhanced cleaning regimes, staff welfare and training considerations and detailed national guidance from multiple sectors that must be followed.

"As a result, the way we operate our venues will be very different from before.

"The health and well-being of our customers and staff remains our most pressing priority and we all have a responsibility to do what we can to continue to suppress the spread of the virus and so we will only re-open when we it’s safe and viable to do so."

The Scottish Government is set to review lockdown restrictions on July 30 and, if permitted, gyms will be able to re-open a few days later.

This will initially be a member’s only service in Argyll and Bute due to reduced capacity and pre-booking requirements.

Indoor and outdoor fitness classes will be able to resume from August 3 if given the go-ahead from the government, while a new online fitness class programme will be launched.

Lane swimming only will be permitted in swimming pools as they re-open; stage two of the process, in September, will see an increase in opening hours, as well as an increase in the number of fitness classes and the introduction of swimming lesson programmes.

Around 14,000 books are currently out on loan from LiveArgyll facilities, with the organisation saying that a click and collect service will be implemented in September, alongside the continuation of the online library service BorrowBox.

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Restricted physical re-opening arrangements are scheduled for September for libraries and museums, with a return to full service in October.

Events venues, community venues and indoor school lets are not currently permitted to open and LiveArgyll says it is awaiting further Scottish Government guidelines.

Active Schools and sports development will restart from the beginning of the new school term on a phased basis in line with education, sportscotland and NGB guidelines.

The statement continued: "Although we remain closed to the public we continue to support our partners to enable our facilities to be used for mobile testing sites, community food distribution centres, education hubs and storage areas for hospital equipment.

"A large number of our workforce have and continue to volunteer in their communities supporting the emergency response.

"We look forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as we can and we appreciate all the support we have received as we work hard to re-open our doors once again."

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