NO single retailer will occupy the vacant site on Helensburgh's waterfront, a senior Argyll and Bute councillor has pledged.

A meeting in the town on Tuesday also heard that informal interest has been expressed by developers interested in taking on the vacant site of the former swimming pool on the waterfront - even though the land has yet to be formally marketed.

A report giving the latest update on the development said there was “no done deal” on the future of the site in front of the town’s new leisure centre.

And a senior Argyll and Bute councillor underlined that view when he told a meeting in the town on Tuesday that there was "no pre-determined outcome" for the future of the site - but also that "no single retailer will occupy that site".

In response to a question from Helensburgh and Lomond South SNP councillor Math Campbell-Sturgess, Argyll and Bute Council’s head of commercial services, Ross McLaughlin, said that parties had been in touch.

The authority’s deputy leader, Councillor Gary Mulvaney (Conservative, Helensburgh Central), praised the team behind the waterfront development for getting to its current stage, and expressed hope of a positive outcome from a marketing engagement exercise.

The agreement to market the site was one of a number of recommendations agreed by the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee at its meeting on Tuesday, December 13.

Councillor Campbell-Sturgess asked: “In terms of commercial discussions, has the council had any informal discussions?”

Mr McLaughlin replied: “As an estates department, we get a wide range of enquiries. If the recommendations are agreed today, that allows us to have detailed discussions with operators.

“People have contacted us asking what is happening with the site, and if you call that interest, I would say yes.”

Councillor Mulvaney said: “I think we should welcome this paper. We have done a tremendous job in getting to this stage and this is the final bit of the jigsaw.

“With what we have now, let us not underestimate the challenge. We are in a challenging market, we have construction inflation at historically high levels, and a commercial and retail sector which is under pressure.

“It will be interesting to see what we get out of it. Maybe a discussion where we are sitting around the table and nobody has thrown their hat into the ring. But let’s see what the market brings in.

“We have an open dialogue and I hope Helensburgh Community Council [HCC] are in listening mode because I want to be clear – there is no pre-determined outcome. No single retailer will be on that site.”

Members of HCC were in attendance at the meeting, having asked questions during public question time, some relating to the waterfront.

Councillor Mulvaney continued: “It will be whatever comes out of the engagement. It is the last bit of the jigsaw and we want to get it right.

“If you look at what we have done over the last 15 years, we can say that it has all been done for the right reasons, like the building we are in just now [Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre].

“There is the new Hermitage Academy and Hermitage Park. Even with all the controversy with CHORD that went on during the construction, what we have now is a great outcome in terms of culture.

“The council can stand very proudly behind its reputation. It has always done the right thing for the town, and the area committee has done the right thing for the town.

“Fingers crossed that we get a range of choices and we will see updates to the area committee, and the wider community can take us in great faith.”

Meanwhile, Councillor Mark Irvine (Independent, Lomond North) questioned Mr McLaughlin on how long the engagement will take.

Mr McLaughlin replied: “We are intending, if the recommendations are agreed, we will go out this side of Christmas.

“I would say an eight to 12-week period would be the norm for a project of this size, but it will depend on the magnitude of the interest we receive.”