by Cllr Julie McKenzie
Over recess, I’ve spent some time looking into the Council’s proposed sale of part of the Helensburgh Waterfront, and I’ve come across something that I think deserves much wider attention.Argyll and Bute Council is now carrying out a statutory consultation because it has concluded the land is subject to Common Good. This really matters because Common Good assets belong to the people of the former burgh and there are specific legal requirements before they can be disposed of.
What surprised me is that the Council’s own June 2026 report explains this wasn’t always its legal position. In 2019, legal advice concluded that the land had ceased to be Common Good. Following a review after the Judicial Review, the Council now says that legal position is no longer considered to be correct.
That raises some important governance questions.
When did the Council’s understanding change? Who was informed, and when? Were elected members provided with all the relevant information as decisions were being made?
It also raises a much bigger question.
If the Council’s legal understanding of this Common Good asset has changed, what does that mean for other Common Good assets across Argyll and Bute? Has the Council reviewed whether the same legal interpretation could affect other former burgh assets, or is this the only one?
This is all about transparency, governance and ensuring the proper process is followed when dealing with assets that belong to our communities.
If you live in, work in, or care about Helensburgh and the preservation of the Common Good. I’ would encourage you to read the consultation and consider responding. You can find a link in the comments section below.
Having read the consultation form, I was surprised to find there are no structured questions at all – just a single text box asking for your views. I’ll let folk taking part decide whether that provides them enough opportunity to properly explore an issue of this importance.
Common Good assets belong to the people they serve, so it is vital that the community has its say.
Democrat reader May Lennox-Milton urged Helensburgh residents: “Take a stand, people; councillors are your servants, not your masters.”
Sash Cameron added: “I see the piles of tiles still on the roof with no progress. Harrison Roofing or McKenzie Roofing would have it finished in a week!”
Carole Spencer asked: “Does anyone remember a plaque at the front of the pier car park by the old swimming pool, possibly in the 1980s, saying that this land was gifted to the people of Helensburgh by Sir James Colquhoun? I’m sure I didn’t imagine this, but I’m questioning it now! “