CAMPAIGNERS have launched a petition against the retail development planned for Helensburgh's waterfront.
Helensburgh Community Council (HCC) at their meeting tonight announced their "stop the supermarket" petition against Argyll and Bute Council.
Earlier this month, council officers agreed to sell the key seafront property for an undisclosed amount to Forrest Developments Ltd. It will include a supermarket, believed to be the Co-op.
Councillors rubber stamped the secret deal and they are amongst the only public voices in favour of the project. A social media vote found 94 per cent of the public were opposed.
Officials and councillors have said the process had to be behind closed doors because of commercial sensitivity.
On Thursday it was revealed the site will sell for "the region of £1 million".
The petition can be found on Change.org.
The petition from HCC warns: "This retail development threatens the livelihoods of local businesses and will ruin the waterfront views we value in our community and bring many tourists to our town."
There has been no public disclosure of the details of the winning bids, nor the losing ones.
READ MORE: Helensburgh waterfront protest sign demands 'no supermarket'
HCC took the original Avison Young brochure calling for bids and mocked up their own supermarket graphic as part of the petition.
The council said it consulted 83 people during the bidding process.
But the community council bluntly states that is "dwarfed" by the 4,500 responses to six years of their own consultations with residents.
Speaking before the meeting, Peter Brown, HCC convenor, said: “There is widespread community concern about a supermarket development. Many people have been in touch with HCC and told us they are planning to come to Thursday’s meeting, often for the first time.
READ MORE: Helensburgh has a pyramid of power over waterfront
"We are launching a petition to capture people's opposition to the supermarket. We urge everyone to sign it and share it with friends, family and neighbours. If there is one thing people do, sign this.
"There is a strong sense of injustice across Helensburgh. Community views have been disregarded and this is not what the community wants on our waterfront.
@We have clear, sustainable and positive ideas for town - and this development is not that."
Argyll and Bute Council have been approached for comment.
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