The main works contract for Helensburgh's near-£20million waterfront leisure centre and swimming pool is set to be awarded this month.
Councillor Gary Mulvaney, who is Argyll and Bute Council’s policy lead on the project, says that the authority’s temporary ‘business continuity committee’ (BCC) will review all the bids later this month, and approve the successful bidder, following completion of the tendering process for the work.
The BCC is due to meet on Thursday, June 25 to consider a range of issues, including whether the emergency arrangements enabling the council to deal with urgent business during the coronavirus lockdown should be extended.
He said: “In these turbulent times, it is good to say that the waterfront development continues to progress as expected.
“The tender process has concluded as planned, they have been assessed and scored and reports are now in preparation.
“This will allow both area members to consider it and for the business continuity committee to review the business case and award the contract this month.”
Lomond North councillor George Freeman, who is a member of the planning, protective services and licensing committee (PPSL) which granted planning permission for the scheme in January 2019, hailed the prospective progress – but said he was disappointed at the delays encountered so far.
READ MORE: Helensburgh waterfront plans secure planning permission – at third time of asking
He said: “Although local councillors have been kept in the dark, I am led to believe that the council’s business continuity committee is due to consider tenders for the Helensburgh waterfront leisure centre later this month.
“If that is correct, I am glad that after many years of discussions and ongoing delays, this project may at last be moving forward.
“This must now match the ongoing delays of approximately 20 years associated with the Helensburgh to Cardross cycle track. It will be interesting to see which one gets to the finishing line first.”
The cycle route mentioned by Cllr Freeman is not, at present, expected to be complete until 2027.
READ MORE: Opposition councillor slams authority's leaders over Helensburgh waterfront delays
The PPSL granted planning permission only after deferring a decision on two occasions to seek further information.
However, the tendering process for constructors to try to win the contract then stalled after a “technical glitch” in the electronically-conducted process.
The council announced in July 2019 that it would re-launch the process after an “inadvertent technical breach”.
It is not yet known what impact, if any, the Covid-19 pandemic will have on the planned schedule for the new leisure centre.
READ MORE: Finance fears aired over latest delay to Helensburgh waterfront plans
At the last meeting of the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee, in March, Dr Peter Brown, vice-convener of Helensburgh Community Council, submitted a written question asking for an update on the project timeline.
In a response on behalf of project manager John Gordon, Dr Brown was told that it was still the plan to bring forward a full business case for approval during June, with construction work to start “as soon as possible thereafter”.
However, with the exception of that written exchange, no official report has been prepared for the area committee on the project's progress since September 2019.
READ MORE: Catch up with all the latest news headlines from around Helensburgh and Lomond here
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