COUNCIL bosses say they have no knowledge of any "unsurmountable issues" that the operators of a Helensburgh cafe say has forced them to close.

The operators of the Park Pavilion Cafe and Kiosk, in Hermitage Park, announced at the weekend that the business had ceased trading with immediate effect.

But the building's owners, Argyll and Bute Council, say that any problems with the building come as news to them.

In a social media post on Sunday night, a spokesperson for the cafe, which opened three years ago, said: "Due to what we believe to be unsurmountable issues with the building and rising maintenance costs, the Pavilion has ceased to trade.

"In time, we hope to find another venue to pick up where we left off."

The cafe opened in the spring of 2021 following the completion of the pavilion building, believed to be the first non-residential structure in Scotland to have been completed to the high Passivhaus design standards.

Those are designed to provide a high level of comfort for occupants with, crucially, a dramatic reduction in the amount of energy needed to heat the building.

A council spokesperson told the Advertiser: "We are sad to hear the Pavilion Café has ceased trade last week.

"We are unaware of unsurmountable issues with the building.

"We are committed to supporting local businesses and attracting investment to the ongoing regeneration of Hermitage Park with the Pavilion at its heart.

"We will look to market the Pavilion café lease as soon as practicable given the circumstances.”

Readers reacted to the news on Monday and said there was a need for an affordable cafe option.

Linda McMillan Shanks wrote: "Needs to be something affordable for all, somewhere parents could afford to take their kids to the park then have lunch there.

"There's a lot of struggling and vulnerable families in Helensburgh and Lochside and it's bad when parents are having to tell their children they can't afford anything to eat in the park."

And Jennifer Smith said: "A cafe with jukebox for teenagers to use we had that in our younger days and there was never any trouble there is nowhere else for them to spend their time."

But Clara Zwarts wrote: "Gutted. I loved it as it was! Somewhere dog friendly to have coffee and cake or a takeaway."

Louise Macdonald added: "Really sad to see this close down as well as the cafe at Levengrove.

"On busy weekends or even during school hols a simple cafe would make a killing, shame more can't be done to make it work."