HELENSBURGH’S £23m new leisure centre has been shortlisted for a national planning award.
The waterfront development by Argyll and Bute Council is one of six buildings in the running for the award for best use of arts, culture or sport in placemaking category of the 2023 UK Planning Awards.
The council’s statement on the awards website says Helensburgh is undergoing ‘a decade-long regeneration’.
It adds: “Masterplanning of the town made a strong commitment to ‘town centre first’ principles and connecting the development to the Clyde and adjoining civic spaces.
“It’s been a collaboration with many but notably the navy who wanted to use sporting facilities to connect their personnel into the town and encourage ‘off base’ integration.
“Anyone who has completed development of this scale ‘on time’ during the pandemic deserves an award. Not been easy.”
Depute council leader Gary Mulvaney said:“We’re working hard to deliver real opportunities for communities to help grow the local economy by providing innovative solutions in service delivery and design.
“From supporting climate friendly projects to world firsts such as the drone delivery project, our communities are the beating heart of everything we do.
Contractors Heron Bros completed work on time last August but the project had been delayed significantly before their involvement – the swimming pool was originally scheduled to open in April 2020 and cost £17m.
The other shortlisted projects in that category are Brent Cross Town Electrical Sub-Station, CAPA College in Wakefield, Rochester Riverside – Phases 1 & 2, Windrush Public Art Commissions in Hackney and York Place, the new headquarters of the Royal Academy of Dance.