PLANNED charges at Helensburgh’s waterfront leisure centre car park are  “putting obstacles” in the way of people using the facility, a councillor has claimed.

A traffic regulation order would see two hours’ free parking for cars at the leisure centre, with £1 per hour or part hour added thereafter, 9am to 6pm seven days a week.

But Helensburgh and Lomond South SNP councillor Math Campbell-Sturgess expressed concern that patrons of the centre would simply seek free parking elsewhere if there was a possibility they could inadvertently go over two hours.

The discussion took place at a meeting of Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee on Tuesday, March 12.

Councillor Campbell-Sturgess asked: “In terms of the two-hour limit for cars, am I right in saying that this will affect people parking at the leisure centre? The map is not 100 per cent clear.”

Hugh O’Neill, the council’s network and standards manager, responded: “It affects all of the car parking and I do not think two hours is too much to ask.

"Certainly, when I have been in with my family, I was never in for more than two hours. If people want to stay in longer then there is a modest fee for it.”

Councillor Campbell-Sturgess replied: “I am sure people will pay an extra hour just in case, but the cost of that, compared to the loss of revenue from people looking for free parking, means we are going to lose £2 per customer. This meeting probably costs more than that.

“It feels like we are putting obstacles in the way of using a facility we really want people to use.”

Councillor Gemma Penfold (Conservative, Helensburgh and Lomond South), the committee's chair, responded: “If you go in and have not put a ticket on your car, you have to take responsibility for that.

"There is a clock on the wall of the pool and I personally think you just need to get your family out of the pool a bit sooner.”

Discussion also took place on plans to amend a traffic regulation order at the Waterfront to allow coaches to park at a drop-off point for a maximum of 20 minutes.

Councillor Fiona Howard (Labour, Helensburgh Central) said: “I am not sure 20 minutes is enough. You need coach parking and they need the coaches to be able to stay there.

"It is mostly elderly passengers.”

Councillor Gary Mulvaney (Conservative, Helensburgh Central) responded: “I hear Councillor Howard’s point but this is a drop-off and pick-up point. Most places I have experienced, in terms of tourist towns, will drop off in the central area then park elsewhere.

“They have parked elsewhere [in Helensburgh]. I have seen them outside the Commodore Hotel, and in East Princes Street. They will drop off at an arranged point and park elsewhere.

“If you have a number of coach operators, you cannot provide space for every coach to stay there [at the waterfront].

“We had instances of school transport parking there all day, because that is what they did before. They said they would return to base or park elsewhere, and through engagement, we got them to park at Hermitage Academy.”

Mr O’Neill added: “What we are looking to do is reduce congestion as much as we can. Coach drivers are quick to pick up on where they can and cannot park.

“The road is not designed for coaches manoeuvring. It is designed to go in one way and out the other, and you do not want large vehicles reversing.”

Councillor Howard then said: “We had these discussions before the building was built, and discussed the need for access for coaches.

"Now we find ourselves in a position where we do not have it.”