SCAFFOLDING is expected to go up at Helensburgh Leisure Centre next week – but pleas for a public meeting have been rejected.
Dr Peter Brown, convener of the town’s community council, questioned councillors on the possibility of a meeting, along with the regularity of updates on the leisure centre.
The facility has been closed since its roof was severely damaged by Storm Eowyn on Friday, January 24. A council official confirmed that the target reopening date remains March 2026 at the latest.
The discussion took place at a meeting of Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee on Tuesday, September 9.
Dr Brown was unable to attend the meeting, so clerk Stuart McLean read out his question at the start of public question time.
He said: “At the area committee meeting in June, councillors deferred holding a public meeting on the leisure centre closure until tenders had been awarded.
“This has now been done, so when will councillors be willing to attend a public meeting about the situation with the leisure centre?
“Since the area committee meeting in June, there have been three updates to the council website about the leisure centre. This is three updates in three months.
“The last two promised that scaffolding would be in place by now, and it is not. Councillor Maurice Corry (Conservative, Lomond North) called for regular updates, such as the weekly ones during the initial construction. Why are we not getting regular updates?”
Mr McLean then read out a response from project manager Andrew Collins, which said: “Officers are aware of the request from the community council and agree with the consensus view from councillors at the June area committee that a public meeting at this time would not be appropriate.
“That remains the position as not all contracts have been awarded at this stage, notably the internal fit-out.
“All information is contained within the regular updates on the website. Our focus remains on returning the leisure centre to use as soon as possible.
“The last update was two weeks ago. They are designed to tie in with Helensburgh Community Council meetings.
“The council contractor has now taken position on site and scaffolding cabins were erected last week. There has been a slight delay to design for the scaffolding works, but it will start next week for a period of four weeks.
“Works will be ongoing throughout the autumn and our focus is on reopening by the end of March. We will continue to share updates.”
Councillor Corry then said: “We have to work to where we see people on site, and Mr Collins has given us an update. Regular updates also come out from the media team.
“Following on from my comment at the last meeting, I am satisfied so far. We are in the hands of the insurance company and the project managers and what Mr Collins has said is bang on message.
“I am dying to dive into that pool, and we are as desperate as anybody to reopen, but what can we do? We have got to roll with it and rest assured we are doing all we can.”
