Hopes for future of leisure centre closed by Storm Eowyn

The new chair of the Live Argyll leisure trust has expressed hope Helensburgh Leisure Centre can reopen as soon as possible in 2026.

The facility closed as a result of extensive roof damage caused by Storm Eowyn on 24 January.

Mairi Coleman, who recently took over as chairwoman following the retirement of Andrew Nisbet, said it was vital to get the building back open in the New Year.

A temporary roof has been installed at the building, with the latest update from Argyll and Bute Council stating the hope it would reopen by the end of March.

Ms Coleman praised Live Argyll staff for doing a "a massive amount of work to mitigate the impact" of the closure.

This involved moving the gym into the library, the library to the pavilion and classes to the Victoria Halls.

But she said there were issues which still had to be tackled.

"The challenge has been what we call the wet side activities, as you cannot lift a swimming pool and drop it into another building.

"So the hope is that we continue to work with the council and facilities team, and continue to work collaboratively to get the building open as soon as possible. It is vital for people, but also for us to protect our income."

The centre's gym facilities are now located in the Helensburgh Library building, also operated by Live Argyll, on West King Street. The library itself is now in Hermitage Park Pavilion.

Ms Coleman said it remained the plan to return the library and gym to their usual sites when the building reopens but a timescale was still being worked on.

She added the closure had been challenging in a number of ways, including having a reputational impact on both the trust and Argyll & Bute Council.

"Income has been a really big challenge, so we have worked with the council on how we mitigate that," she said.

"Our staff really stepped up in managing what was a really difficult situation, and managed it in the best way they could."

Story by Local Democracy Reporting Service reporter Andrew Galloway.