It is now 634 days since Helensburgh Library moved into Hermitage Park Pavilion (above); what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement must not be allowed to become permanent by default,
The library moved in February 2025 to make way for a temporary gym at its premises in West King Street, following the damage caused to Helensburgh Leisure Centre by Storm Eowyn. There were understandable reasons for finding emergency accommodation for both services.
But almost 21 months later, what is the long-term plan for Helensburgh Library?
That’s a question which Argyll and Bute Council is notably refusing to answer, while LiveArgyll remains as secretive as ever – no minutes or agendas of its meetings have been published since February 2025.
The council’s only response to inquiries in recent weeks was: “We do not comment on speculation.”
Three different sources have now confirmed that keeping the library in its temporary location is being actively considered – with one very senior source saying the decision had already been taken and that the West King Street building (below), which was purpose-built for a library, was ‘ideal’ for gym equipment.
These are all well-informed and reliable sources, two of whom work for LiveArgyll and one for the council – so it is now very far from speculation.
And there is a clear precedent in Dunoon, where the town’s library was moved to much smaller premises in March 2025, without any public consultation and leading to a public outcry.
A full month after our most recent inquiry, there is still no further comment from the council’s press office, which is neither acceptable nor professional.
The time has come for some honesty and openness.
Despite the best efforts of the staff who work there, the pavilion building is clearly inferior to West King Street:
- It is smaller, so that the number of books on display has fallen from 16,500 before the move to 14,833, and the space between shelves is cramped
- Public computers are crammed between bookshelves with limited privacy for users, rather than in a separate area on another floor, meaning it is a far worse option for people who need internet access for work or study
- The park pavilion building is also more difficult for some people, especially the elderly, to access, as unlike West King Street it is not adjacent to a bus stop
A library is much more than a collection of books. It is a place for children to discover reading, for students to study, for older people to access information and for residents who do not have computers or reliable internet connections at home to use essential digital services.
There is also a wider principle at stake. Public libraries are among the few remaining warm indoor public spaces where people can spend time without being expected to buy anything.
They should be accessible, welcoming and spacious enough to accommodate all these activities, with room for books, computers, events and quiet study.
The pavilion was not designed for this purpose.
Whatever the efforts of library staff to make the best of the available accommodation, there are obvious limitations to what can be provided in a building of this kind.
We should not have to accept a makeshift library indefinitely because of financial pressures caused by the fiasco of the town’s new leisure centre.
We have already seen libraries closed down in Rhu and Garelochhead, while those in Cove and now Rosneath are run by volunteers. Last year there were threats to close libraries in Cardross, Tiree and Tarbert.
The council and Live Argyll should make clear whether the library will return to West King Street, what other options are being considered, when a decision will be made and who by.
