Helensburgh Community Council Update
Argyll and Bute Council · 13 May 2025
Back to Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group — 13 May 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Helensburgh Community Council Partner Update May 2025 ▪ Work on a Helensburgh Local Place Plan continues to take up a lot of time and energy. The initial questionnaires have been analysed. Well attended Focus Groups and Drop-in sessions then considered the findings further. A full day Engagement Event took place at the Parish Halls More than three hundred members of the community, spanning all ages, came along to share their views. Visitors were able to engage with community organisations and projects, including Helensburgh Pier, Helensburgh Skatepark Project, the Save the Tower Campaign, Kirkmichael Development Trust, Jean’s Bothy, Helensburgh Community Hub, the Community Woodlands Group and Helensburgh and District Access Trust. Grey Matters provided refreshments. It was a positive event. Thanks to David Hagerty our Community Development Officer and the team from the Argyll and Bute Aspiring Places for spending the day with us and talking with a wide variety of groups and individuals. Three of our local councillors attended along with Dame Jackie Baillie our local MSP Please visit www.visionforhelensburgh.org for further information and updates. Currently a first draft of the Plan is being produced. The plan will then go out for further consultation with the community, Argyll and Bute councillors and our neighbouring Community Councils. ▪ A well attended information day for the proposed Banking Hub was hosted by Cash Access Uk in the Parish Halls. ▪ Our Music in the Square Fund has for the last three years successfully provided support for musical groups and community events. The fund has now been allocated, and applications are closed. ▪ The Community Council took part in the Argyll and Bute Visitor Levy consultation and online Resilience Training. Further information concerning the Judicial Review will be shared when available. ▪ Public questions at our meetings have included transport concerns related to the changes in the route and timetable of the First Bus provision between Helensburgh, Dumbarton and Glasgow and the increase in concessionary fairs on Scot Rail. Empty premises in the town centre are also of concern. By far the greatest number of questions raised, however, have concerned the repair and reopening of the Helensburgh Leisure Centre, including the relocation of the gym and library provision. The community is keen to have clarity on the next steps as soon as possible.
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▪ We want to congratulate the Save the Tower Arts Centre campaign for all their hard work and on their successful application to the Scottish Land Fund for which they received over £205,000 for a community buy out. ▪ Due to relocation and illness the Community Council currently has four vacancies. The next meeting will be the AGM on 29th May 7:00pm Civic Centre Annex. All Welcome come along and find out more about all our activities.