THE Friends of Hermitage Park have appealed to people in the area to publicly back their plans to create a community hub at a former Argyll and Bute Council depot site next to the park.

Last week the Advertiser revealed the Friends' hopes of securing the site at the north-west corner of the park under new legislation on the transfer of community assets.

They want to use the site – which has lain empty since the opening of the council's new roads depot at Blackhill, on the northern edge of Helensburgh – for storage facilities for local groups, an equipment bank and tool bank, and to create a nursery to supply plants for the park and to grow local plants for sale.

The Friends also say the empty depot building would provide a home for the Helensburgh and District Men's Shed, which is currently looking for a permanent home in the town.

The Friends have been working closely with the council on the regeneration of Hermitage Park itself, though it's thought that their hopes for the depot site could run up against a stumbling block – as the authority itself has already earmarked the proceeds from the future sale of the site for housing to offset the cost of the Blackhill depot.

Fiona Baker, chair of the Friends of Hermitage Park, said: “The Friends hope that if we can obtain the depot site and create the Hermitage Park Community Hub it will help secure the future management and maintenance of the park and provide much needed local facilities.

“The Friends fear that even though the council is committed to maintain the park for 10 years as part of the HLF grant conditions with ever decreasing council budgets it will become more and more difficult for the council to do so without assistance.

“The Friends would like the park to become self-sustaining and for it to generate enough income to look after itself.

“We would be happy to continue their successful partnership with the council to achieve the best possible future for the park.”

The Friends hope to buy the site – not lease it, as reported in our story last week – from the council using the provisions of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act of 2015.

Ms Baker said the Friends' detailed proposals in their asset transfer request include both a budget and a business plan.

The Friends' plans also include setting up an endowment fund which would pay for a manager for the hub and a horticultural therapist to lead events and activities for many community groups in the park as well as provide various training courses.

Ms Baker continued : “The Community Hub would provide a home for the Men’s Shed group as well as community storage facilities for various local groups, for example the Theatre Arts and Savoy Musical Theatre Group, who are in desperate need of somewhere to store their sets and props, and many other groups would benefit from affordable community storage facilities.

“The Hub would also hope to establish an equipment bank and tool bank for local use. The depot site also includes the old council greenhouse which would be restored and developed with the addition of a poly tunnel to create a nursery for supplying the park and growing surplus plants for local sale.

“The existing depot building is in walk-in condition for the Men’s Shed, an organisation that would provide a vital service to the health and wellbeing of our residents, especially older gentlemen, as well as increase skills and employability for younger residents and provide on tap support to the maintenance of the park.

“The old cottage is earmarked to become a ‘virtual office’ for embryonic businesses.”

The Friends of Hermitage Park group was set up in 2011 with the primary aim of restoring and regenerating the park itself – but Ms Baker said the group also wanted to be sure of securing the park's future.

She added: “This is an ambitious proposal but we feel we have the necessary skills and resources to make it happen and it would provide a fantastic community asset to Helensburgh and district.

“A community hub would meet many of Argyll and Bute’s declared objectives and provide opportunities and facilities for all.”

The Friends are also hoping that anyone in the town – whether an individual or group – who supports their idea for the site will publicly give their backing, either via the 'Helensburgh Hermitage Park' page on Facebook or by sending a letter of support to the Friends of Hermitage Park Association Secretary, 28 Queen Street, Helensburgh G84 9QL.