This week's Councillor Column is written by Helensburgh Central councillor Gary Mulvaney, the depute leader of Argyll and Bute Council, who stood as the Conservative candidate in Argyll and Bute in last month's general election.

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First of all, thank you to all of you voted and supported me in both the local council and general election campaigns.

It really was a pleasure to meet so many of you during the campaign and receive your congratulations thereafter.

Politics can be a tough old game - just ask Theresa May! - but it is good to know that in Helensburgh, manners and common courtesy are the norm not the exception.

Waterfront: The new swimming pool was one of my key focus areas during the campaign and I am delighted to now be the policy lead responsible for this key regeneration development.

This is not just a big project for our Town, but for the whole council area.

Within the next few weeks, we will appoint key members of the project and design team and once they are bedded in, the next stage will be to consider the design and engage with key stakeholders in the community.

We quite rightly want something to be proud of.

Footpaths: The surplus monies that we allocated to town centre pavements are starting to be spent with the Esplanade re-surfaced to Kidston Park, upper Maitland Street done and the pavement around Farmfoods also done. We're still waiting on the top surface-dressing of tarmac to be done in some sections but this will happen soon.

The pavements at lower James Street and West Princes Street (around the post office) will be started later on this year.

St Joseph’s School Concert: I was delighted to attend this show and all the children from P4-7 excelled, and more to the point, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Teachers, pupils and helpers put in lots of work to make it happen and they should be delighted with the outcome.

It was especially good to see the genuine and warm acknowledgement of the contribution by the school's legendary music teacher, Mrs McMurtrie, in her final show before she retires later this year.

Helensburgh Community Woodland Group: As I was unable to attend their recent open day, I met with the group to hear about their plans for the future of Castle Woods and Cumberland Avenue.

Many will remember that I strongly supported the new houses we now have in Cumberland Avenue and Rhu Road Higher – we needed homes (still do) and it was right to support local jobs.

More than a decade on, we now need to look to the long term sustainability of these woods, and with aegis of community right to buy, the time seems right for owners and the community to come together.