Projects / Action Areas

The Pier Head

The Helensburgh Partnership has gone out to tender for consultants to prepare a masterplan for the Pier Head Site.  Derek Anderson, Chief Executive, believes this is probably the most important piece of work that the Partnership will commission.

Derek says, “The Pier area and car park has often been described as the jewel in Helensburgh’s crown and we fully agree with this.  The site clearly demands a masterplan that is imaginative, innovative and visionary.  The masterplan must of course also be deliverable.  The last thing the town needs is a lot of pie in the sky ideas”.

The Partnership has drawn up a shortlist of well-qualified and experienced consultants and has asked them to submit their proposals for preparing the masterplan.  Tenders are due to be returned before Christmas and design excellence will be a major consideration.  Bill Brackenridge, Chairman, says “We have deliberately said to the consultants that they will have a blank canvas to work on, except of course for no supermarket.  I think it seriously damages credibility if you ask professionals to provide you with their best advice and then place a whole host of restrictions upon them.  It will be critical that the proposals are financially viable. We will ask the consultants to determine if a development containing only leisure, recreation and tourism uses can be viable.”  

Alan Dundas from the Chamber of Commerce is firmly of the view that this site is the single most important regeneration opportunity in not only Helensburgh but in the whole of Argyll and Bute.  “This site is far too important to Helensburgh.  The people of Helensburgh need to be truly engaged in the process - not asked along after everything’s been done.  They deserve to have the services of the leading experts in this field and that is what this tender is about.  At the end of the day we need to give the community what it wants.”

The intention of the Partnership is to appoint the successful consultant team early in the New Year with the commission due for completion by the end of May.  The local community will be consulted throughout.

The Pier Head Site is a level area of reclaimed land located on Helensburgh’s waterfront.  It extends to some 7 acres (2.8 hectares).

Much of the site is currently used for surface car parking and existing buildings on the site include the Council swimming pool/leisure centre, a public house and public toilets.  The swimming pool, in particular, is considered locally to be a valued community asset.  Part of the site has been used as a fairground for a considerable number of years, with a recently continued temporary planning consent, and another part forms a skateboard park.

The Pier site is unique with outstanding views.  There is a strong body of opinion that residents and tourists alike deserve to be given the opportunity to take full advantage of it.

The Helensburgh Partnership, in association with Argyll and Bute Council, has commissioned a desk top investigation into ground conditions and flooding risk and this report will be made available to the successful consultants.

The Inquiry into the new Local Plan was held earlier this year and the Reporter’s recommendations are expected by April/May 2008.  The Pier Site is zoned in the Finalised Draft Modified Local Plan as Town Centre and is identified as an Area For Action.  A range of potentially acceptable uses are indicated including retail, residential and leisure but public opinion is likely to be divided about the final mix of uses.  In the currently adopted local plan, the site is zoned for community and recreation uses.

A land ownership dispute has arisen relating to who owns what on the site.  Whatever the outcome of the dispute, the Partnership needs to have a development strategy for this key site in the town.  If Argyll and Bute Council owns the site, then the masterplan will be available to guide the Council’s implementation process.  If the Council does not own the site or owns only part of it, then the masterplan is still important in determining what ultimately goes onto the site.

The masterplan could, in due course, be adopted as supplementary planning guidance and thereby influence what ultimately is developed on the site.