Secrecy over bidding process raises alarm
COMMUNITY campaigners who pushed for a ‘mixed use’ focus for Helensburgh’s key waterfront site have hit out at the secrecy of the bidding process - and the focus on having a retail development on the site.
Helensburgh Community Council (HCC) at their meeting on March 28 called for the public to voice their opposition to politicians.
The local body had made a bold pitch to take on the empty land in front of the leisure centre with a mix of leisure, small retail pods and a skate park.
Argyll and Bute Council officials told the authority’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee last month that they had shortlisted two of the five bids for the site. HCC’s was not chosen. And at the community council’s latest meeting, it was revealed that when HCC had asked for feedback on their bid, they’d been told to submit a freedom of information request.
The waterfront bidding process has been shrouded in secrecy throughout; HCC’s bid is the only one to have been made public, and aside from the eventual announcement of the winner, it’s not known if any detail of the other bids will ever be revealed.
The press and public were excluded from much of the discussion on the subject during the area committee’s meting on March 12 because of the “commercially and financially sensitive nature of the live bidding process”.
Peter Brown, acting convener of HCC, said Argyll and Bute Council had concluded there was “no consensus” on what the public wanted for the pierhead site.
But repeated surveys by HCC, and even by the council in 2011, saw the public reject a large supermarket or retail development.
HCC also said the council had used “outdated” retail research on the town and criticised Argyll and Bute officials’ decision that a retail impact assessment was not needed.
That is despite the site being located close to a large number of independent retailers who could be affected.
Community councillors were also deeply critical of the council’s approach to a new skate park for the town.
Bidders for the waterfront site were required by the council to include space for a skate park, but the same area committee is pushing for the permanent skate park to be sited elsewhere
HCC said: “With no transparency on the bids, we are concerned that a bid has been shortlisted that may not allow space for a skate park.”
They also insist the site is historically for the benefit of the community, despite the council asserting ownership.
It is expected that a preferred bidder for the site will be revealed at a meeting of Argyll and Bute’s policy and resources committee on May 9.
If the community objected at any stage after that, the bidder could appeal to the Scottish Government or even the courts to ensure it is built regardless.
HCC said there was “disregard for community views”, which they believe is in breach of the local development plan. And they said the decision-making process for the final two bids were “flawed”.
They are raising their concerns with MPs, MSPs and councillors.
Community councillor Polly Jones said: “We don’t know what’s in these last two bids. It’s the strong feeling we might end up with a supermarket.
“Between now and May 9 we have a job to do so people are under no illusion about what the community think.”
And fellow HCC member Elizabeth Lambert said: “The huge feedback from younger people was they wanted leisure, and that was totally disregarded.”
Mr Brown said: “Our concerns may go as far as Audit Scotland. We should not have to be challenging the process. It’s immensely frustrating to go through this.
“We are trying to do what we can.”