Council bosses are pushing ahead with plans for a two-storey retail site to replace the former Helensburgh pool on the waterfront.

Despite opposition from residents and businesses to selling the land for a massive retail development, officials showed architect plans for a 2,700sqm structure running parallel with Clyde Street to help them recoup £1million for the new leisure centre.

The town’s Chamber of Commerce understands five supermarkets are in discussions for part of the structure, with Co-op “out in front” ahead of Aldi, Lidl, M&S and B&M.

And the Chamber is now calling for similar action to 2011 when the town repelled a bid by Sainsbury’s for the waterfront and to “Save Our Seafront”.

Vivien Dance, chair of the Helensburgh and District Chamber of Commerce, told the Advertiser: “Irrespective of public opinion the council has proceeded to commission architects to plan the site and we were shown slides of the proposed development (although our request for a copy of the slides was denied).

“The plan showed a 2,700 square metre, two storey building, running parallel with Clyde Street on the top part of the site. 

“The total square metreage has been designed to give one large unit of sufficient size to attract a supermarket to buy/lease the site and discussions are underway with five interested parties: Aldi, Lidl, M&S, Co-op and B&M, with - as one councillor told me - the Co-op out in front.”

Norman Muir, convener of Helensburgh Community Council, said it had been a “friendly” meeting.

He said: “This was an initial fact-finding meeting to be informed of the council’s current position with plans for the site and a face-to-face discussion concerning our respective positions on the eventual disposal of the ground in question.

“Argyll and Bute seeks to capitalise on a financial imperative to defray the budget costs of the new leisure centre by attracting retail on the site.

“The community view, borne out by our statistical analysis over a number of years and the recent exhibition, ‘Visions for Helensburgh’, in March this year is that the area should be preserved for community interests such as leisure, youth activities, tourism, etc.

“However, we are not against including commercial activity as any part of the eventual overall plan.

“The meeting was friendly and constructive and represented a start to a process of continuing discussions. Argyll and Bute has agreed to develop a consultative programme in the next couple of weeks to continue the dialogue. Both the community council and the Chamber are agreed that the interests of the community must be paramount in the eventual outcome.”

Serve the people

Helensburgh’s MSP, Jackie Baillie, said it was welcome that the new pool was going to open next month.

But she said: “The issue now is the ground on which the old swimming pool stands and it is in a prime location on the waterfront. 

“It is imperative that local residents and those who run businesses in the town are properly consulted on the next steps for this area. Any usage of this land must serve the interests of the people of Helensburgh.”

Argyll and Bute Council has been approached for comment.