Council spent over £75k on consultation for delayed cycle path
GoogleArgyll and Bute Council spent more than £75,000 on consultation for a cycle path – when the preferred route could soon be scrapped.
The local authority advised councillors in December it was considering moving the route of the Helensburgh to Dumbarton path away from the railway line to another route adjacent to the A814.
A freedom of information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed the amount spent on consultancy fees since the initially planned route was first announced in 2019.
Plans to create a travel route for cyclists in the area have been brewing for about 20 years but work will not be completed until at least 2032.
The biggest individual spend by the council was a payment of nearly £21,000 to current design consultants Connected Transport Planning.
This related to landowner engagement, including travel, materials, graphic design services, venues and staff time.
Two payments to previous design consultants WSP, whose contract ended in March 2024, came to a total of £17,000. In total, WSP were paid nearly £37,000.
Four-figure payments were also made to surveying and consultancy companies during the six years.
In a report to the council's Helensburgh and Lomond area committee last month, executive director Kirsty Flanagan said that a change to the preferred route was now being considered, due to what she described as a "number of changes" in the area since the initial route was first chosen.
Instead of running near the railway line, it would instead run adjacent to the main road linking Helensburgh with Cardross, where a section of cycle path is already built.
A deliverability review of phase 1 route options was expected to be completed by the end of last year.
A spokesperson for the council said the cycle path was being funded by Scottish government funding ring-fenced for active travel, which required a full consultation.
"As part of this consultation process, our consultants work closely with the local community and negotiate with multiple landowners along the route," they said.
"This is a complex process that takes time and effort.
"While providing cycle paths is not a service the council is obliged to provide, we work hard to develop them in Argyll and Bute by successfully winning competitive funding bids and gaining the support of local landowners.
"We remain committed to delivering the Helensburgh, Cardross and Dumbarton Cycleway and providing a dedicated, high quality, accessible walking and cycle."
