ARGYLL and Bute Council has no plans to spend any money on Helensburgh pier under a new marine asset management plan, according to a new report.

But the chair of the authority's Helensburgh and Lomond area committee says that doesn't mean the pier has been completely forgotten.

The authority's new management plan for its marine assets, approved by the Argyll and Bute Harbour Board last week, sets out the work the council expects to carry out at all the 39 harbours, piers and slipways it owns between now and 2026-27.

But a figure of zero pounds appears against Helensburgh's pier for every year of the plan – along with a comment that the pier is “not included in this plan”.

The pier also gets no mention in a list of capital works to be carried out at council-owned piers and harbours over the next 12 months.

Kilcreggan pier is also absent from both plans, with the exception of planned investment of £250,000 in 2026-27 to ensure it fully complies with disabled access legislation.

The area committee's chair, Cllr Ellen Morton, told the Advertiser: “The marine asset management plan deals primarily with existing, working piers which generate income through fees and charges.

“The paper presented to the harbour board asked us to agree, in principle, that fees and charges levied by the council should cover the costs of operating those piers.

“Helensburgh pier is only really used by the Waverley these days, and Kilcreggan hardly used apart from the Waverley and the ferry to Gourock.

“However, I think there are really good opportunities for Helensburgh, and the report to the harbour board makes that clear.”

The report, by executive director Pippa Milne, states that assets not identified for work on the plan, but which have “clear development needs”, will be “considered separately through funding opportunities, including those available via economic development, i.e. alternative means of funding, other than through fees and charges, will be sought”.

Cllr Morton added: “If work can be carried out on the pier I think we can start to generate income from it, even if it's quite small at first, and get a plan which triggers further money.

“The idea that tenders from Greenock could call at Helensburgh if the pier can take them is not mission impossible.

“There are opportunities to develop Helensburgh pier, and I will certainly be pushing for those to come forward.”

The pier was closed temporarily as a precaution in January 2016 after Storm Frank struck the west of Scotland, though an inspection found no major damage had been caused.

However, at a recent public meeting, the Helensburgh Seafront Development Project (HSDP) committee voiced concern that without investment the pier could end up going the same way as that at Craigendoran, which quickly fell into disrepair after its use as a steamer terminal ended in the early 1970s.

Cllr Morton added: "There is no plan at all to demolish the pier. It has been surveyed, and while I would not argue that it's a thing of beauty, it is perfectly safe."

Gerard Lindsay, the vice-chairman of HSDP, which is attempting to fund a feasibility study on the pier's repair and refurbishment and the creation of a watersports lagoon on the West Bay esplanade, said: “The HSDP committee had been made aware in a previous meeting with council officers that a report was being compiled but was unaware that it had been published.”

Mr Lindsay said the HSDP committee was due to discuss the report in more detail at a meeting this week.

The next calls at Helensburgh pier are due to be made by the pleasure steamer MV Balmoral, which is scheduled to visit on September 21, 23 and 25 during a brief September holiday weekend sojourn on the Clyde.