NEARLY £140,000 of council money has been spent on removing, reinstating and investigating the future of Helensburgh’s Skatepark, figures have revealed.

A Freedom of Information request to Argyll and Bute Council has uncovered that the reinstatement of the facility at its Waterfront site cost just over £92,000.

A further £31,557 was spent on purchasing new equipment for the reinstatement, including two years’ maintenance.

Studies to potentially re-site the skate park at Kidston Park, as instructed by councillors in December, have set the council back £13,078.

Removal from its site during construction of the town’s new leisure centre, which opened in September 2022, cost £2,610. The skate park returned to the Waterfront in April 2024.

Jackie Hood, of Helensburgh Skatepark Project, spoke at a rally in the town on Saturday, October 26 organised by the town’s community council.

She told the Advertiser: “The Waterfront remains the best place for a community skate park due to its central location, proximity to public transport links, access to local amenities, access to public toilets and excellent passive supervision.

“Public support for this waterfront location is high and the temporary park has brought real life and vigour to an empty part of the town. Feedback from the public has been entirely positive.

“Everyone seems super happy to see so many of our talented youngsters enjoying this free outdoor facility. We have a huge depth of wheeled sports talent in our little town and we need to support that.

“Skate parks are an essential facility for communities and help create a sense of place. They provide an opportunity for much needed outdoor activity, are self-policing and teach youngsters invaluable life lessons such as failure, patience, persistence, creativity and confidence.”

Ms Hood added: “It just seems unnecessary to have spent all this money replacing a temporary skatepark to conform to the minimum requirements of the planning conditions. With a bit of forward lateral thinking, Helensburgh could already have a permanent concrete skatepark.

“I was delighted with the support for the skatepark at the recent rally. It shows just how important it is for the town and its young people that the skate park remains in its current position and it should be improved where it is, not moved out of the town centre. Surely we can do better for our town than a supermarket on our Waterfront.”

During a meeting of the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee in December 2023, councillors agreed to instruct officers to investigate Kidston Park as a possible new site for the skate park, with Hermitage Park as a secondary option.

An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: "To provide reassurance, the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee agreed in late 2023 that the previously existing skate park would be reinstated on the Waterfront unless a suitable alternative location could be identified.

"As the skate park group had noted aspirations for a better facility, the area committee also asked officers to investigate further the option of developing a new skatepark at Kidston Park with Hermitage Park as a secondary option.

"The investigations into Kidston Park are progressing well and officers are working towards submitting a planning application as part of the assessment of this location.

"We have been supportive of the skatepark, which was specified as a temporary facility when it was first approved in 2003, on the understanding that it would not impact the wider redevelopment of the waterfront site.

"We have reinstated the temporary skate park at the waterfront at a cost of £126,000 and have committed an additional £80,000 towards the establishment of a permanent facility."