THE debate over Helensburgh's proposed waterfront leisure centre is set to rumble on for a while yet after a decision was deferred at a public hearing on Monday

At a packed Victoria Halls, members of Argyll and Bute Council's planning, protective services and licensing committee could not come to an agreement on whether to approve the plans for the £18 million development.

At the end of a marathon meeting, which began at 10.30am and did not conclude until more than seven hours later, the committee decided by six votes to four to continue the application until an as-yet-undecided later date.

The decision to continue was made after new flood risk advice was published on Argyll and Bute Council's website warning that the flood defences for the building, as proposed in the application, would only be enough to protect the proposed new leisure centre from the threat of flooding until 2030 – just 10 years after construction is due to be completed.

The committee decided to defer a decision until after new climate change forecasts are published later this month.

Full coverage of the meeting, including reaction and what happens next, will be in Thursday's Helensburgh Advertiser.