PLEAS for Helensburgh's waterfront, the pier, and the town's only cinema to be considered for a share of Levelling Up funding from the UK Government have been put before councillors.

Concerns were expressed at a meeting in town this week over a lack of clarity on Argyll and Bute Council's plans to spend £20 million from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which was announced in November.

A decision on how to spend the cash is expected to be made "in the very near future", the meeting on Tuesday heard.

The discussion took place at a meeting of the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee on Tuesday, March 12.

Sarah Davies, from Helensburgh Community Council, said: “At the last meeting of the area committee, I asked about the allocation of £20 million from the Westminster government’s Levelling Up Fund.

“I was assured that the council would be looking into this, but I have had no further updates on this, despite the very public budget discussions.

“When will this money be allocated, who will make the decision, and when will residents be consulted on this?

“Might I suggest that projects which would welcome the money are the pier regeneration, the plan to buy the Tower Cinema and Arts Centre, and developing the waterfront into a leisure area with a skatepark and coach parking?

“I am also very concerned, given that this is a general election year, that if the money is not spent, it will be lost.”

Councillor Gemma Penfold (Conservative, Helensburgh and Lomond South) said: “I believe that will be considered by the policy and resources committee, which we do not have a date for yet.”

Ms Davies responded: “This is five months ago. In that time, Inverclyde Council has received money which is currently being spent.”

Councillor Gary Mulvaney (Conservative, Helensburgh Central) said: “That money is from the previous round of Levelling Up funding, which Argyll and Bute actually bid for, but we did not succeed.

“The money you are referring to was announced by Michael Gove when he was communities secretary. West Dunbartonshire was given money as well.

“Projects are to be delivered in a very short timescale and will go to the policy and resources committee in the very near future.

“But it is a UK Government initiative. We are working to their criteria and we did not succeed last time because we had too many different projects with different strands.

"We need to focus on one or two things this time around.”

The policy and resources committee is next due to meet on Thursday, May 9, although it is possible a special meeting could be called before then.