A RETURN to Helensburgh for the PS Waverley could potentially bring over £450,000 to the town per year, a charity aiming to reopen the town’s pier has claimed.
The pier has been closed to marine traffic since October 2018, with its timber structure also currently fenced off to people on foot.
The Helensburgh Pier Company is seeking to reopen the facility to all users, as well as installing a pontoon allowing small craft to berth.
But a 25-year lease agreement with Argyll and Bute Council remains on hold until a further inspection and survey have taken place. The contract for those works is expected to be awarded soon.
Bill Purdon and Anne Foy, from the Pier Company, gave an update at the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond community planning group meeting on Tuesday, August 18.
Representatives of the Pier Company also made a presentation to the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee in June.
Mr Purdon said: “The pier was closed to marine traffic in 2018 and is a wasting asset. The timber pier is also closed to the public as it is currently fenced off.
“The charity can apply for funding that is not available to the council, and our aim is to carry out repairs to lift the closure notice and open the pier to leisure and marine craft.
“A lot of people have asked why we have to engage with Argyll and Bute Council. We would like to emphasise that the council are the authority in the area and the only ones that can impose closure notices.
“Our aim is simple – to reopen the pier to all users. We will not operate the pier; we only want the asset functioning so that whoever wishes to use the pier may do so.
“Our proposals are based on a phased approach, firstly to carry out repairs to allow the Waverley to call again. We have a commitment to reinstate visits and to pay us a per passenger tariff, which we consider will pay for maintenance, insurance etc.
“As an independent economic study has revealed, the Waverley coming into Helensburgh is worth approximately £355,000 to £455,000 a year to this area alone. It brings people from Glasgow and Greenock who travel back by train having spent money in the town. It is probable that the cost of the repairs would be returned to the town in a short space of time.
“Having succeeded in reopening, the second part of the plan is to site a pontoon in an accessible area allowing small craft to berth and give them access to the town.”
A report distributed at the meeting said: “The charity has been in negotiation with the council since 2024 to secure a 25-year lease of the property.
“In March 2026 the lease appeared ready to be signed but we were then advised that a further inspection and survey is required before this can happen.
“The council has commissioned a survey and we understand that this is at procurement stage.”
Mr Purdon added: “The council has advised that the tendering process is now complete and is going through work to award the contract to the chosen company. We will be informed once it has been signed, which from our understanding is imminent.
“However, we cannot launch our plans or start major fundraising until we have a legal right to the pier.
“Funding bodies will not accept applications without at least a guaranteed 25-year lease or knowing what sums of money are involved, and assurance that their money will result in a positive outcome.
“We are going ahead little by little.”
