A SECOND Helensburgh and Lomond councillor has publicly voiced opposition to plans for a supermarket on the town’s Waterfront site.
Councillor Ian MacQuire (Independent, Helensburgh Central) made the statement after local councillors were asked if they would declare their opposition.
It came after Councillor Fiona Howard (Labour, Helensburgh Central) wrote a column in a section of the local press saying she would vote against the plan.
Argyll and Bute Council recently ran a public consultation on the plans for the Waterfront site, with the consultation period ending on Monday, August 10.
The discussion took place at a meeting of the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee on Tuesday, September 8.
In the column, published several days before the meeting, Councillor Howard said: “As an elected representative, I should wait for the results to be announced before deciding finally how to vote. But honestly, it doesn’t take a super-brain to guess the result.
“A previous attempt on my part to have the process at least paused to enable Helensburgh Community Council to do additional work on the financial viability of their proposals failed, sadly, but this recent consultation provided another chance for Helensburgh to be heard.
“There will, of course, be consequences for Argyll and Bute Council if enough of my colleagues vote against the sale. But they are in a situation of their own making – which part of ‘NO’ didn’t they understand?
“So: in the interests of democracy, it will be an emphatic ‘NO’ from me.”
Helensburgh Community Council convener Peter Brown said during public question time at the meeting: “Councillor Howard made a very clear statement that she is against the Waterfront site being sold to a supermarket developer.
“Can other councillors confirm that they will decide in accordance with the wishes of the community?”
Councillor Howard, who is chair of the area committee, said: “I have to say that my statement was a very personal thing, made after discussions with various people.
“Some other councillors I know are waiting for the results of the consultation before they announce what they are going to do.
“I made a decision on the basis of some advice I was given, which may or may not have been good advice, but I cannot force colleagues to make any statements until they are ready.”
Councillor MacQuire then said: “When I first became a councillor, and the first time I met (chief executive) Pippa Milne, one of the first questions I was asked was what I thought of the plans for the Waterfront.
“I asked what they were and was told they were a supermarket. I said I hated it, because it is not what the community want. We need something for the community.
“In support of Councillor Howard, I am now going to say publicly that I will be voting against a supermarket.”
Four other councillors were in attendance at the meeting – Councillor Math Campbell-Sturgess (SNP, Helensburgh and Lomond South); Councillor Maurice Corry (Conservative, Lomond North); Councillor Paul Kennedy (Liberal Democrat, Helensburgh and Lomond South) and Councillor Gemma Penfold (Conservative, Helensburgh and Lomond South). None of them spoke during the discussion.
