COMMUNITY groups who were not asked for their views on the future of Helensburgh’s waterfront development site will have a chance to make their views heard.
The consultation on the town centre site - formerly occupied by the town's swimming pool until it was demolished and replaced by Helensburgh Leisure Centre - was raised during public question time at a meeting of local councillors on Tuesday.
It was claimed that some local groups, including the Helensburgh Skatepark Project, had not heard anything from Argyll and Bute Council on its consultation process.
The skate park had previously been situated at the waterfront site, beside the old Helensburgh Swimming Pool, before work began on building the new leisure centre.
The temporary skate park was dismantled as part of the waterfront site's revamp.
Helensburgh Central councillor Gary Mulvaney, policy lead on the Waterfront development, has now pledged to consult with parties who missed out.
Sarah Davies, of Helensburgh Community Council, raised the matter during the meeting of Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee on Tuesday, June 13.
She said: “We are really pleased that the community engagement is now taking place about the waterfront. However, a couple of people have been in touch to ask how the community groups consulted have been decided.
“I have been invited as part of Helensburgh Community Council, Fun First have been invited, and Plastic Free Helensburgh have been invited.
“But the Friends of Hermitage Park have not received an invite, and neither has the Skatepark Project. Can you invite those people, or clarify how the decisions were made?”
Councillor Mulvaney responded: “Going through all of the various lists, some people flagged up other groups that the people in charge could look at and go through all the views.
“It was probably unsurprising that they missed one or two out. I am quite happy, as policy lead, to pick up the invite to the groups you mentioned and arrange for them to be contacted.”
Nine expressions of interest have been submitted to the council for the waterfront development site after it was marketed earlier this year.
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