Is upgrading an old skating pond worth £1m?

Work to upgrade a former skating pond in Argyll and Bute could cost the local council over £1m, a report has claimed.

Officers with the local authority agreed that a hybrid project for Helensburgh skating pond, providing ecological benefits and a quality nature site for visitors, would be the preferred option.

However, the council is now thought to need to find around £1m, a source of which has not been identified, in order to deliver the project in full.

Originally created as a skating pond, the site was later used for community events, but has been overgrown with weeds , while timber furniture at the site is rotting.

An update on plans for the site – at the top of Sinclair Street in the town – was given in August, with a landscape architect warning at the time that “doing nothing is not an option”.

A report will be considered by the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee at a meeting on 9 December.

It states that a range of works have been considered as part of the options, including drainage, the removal of silt and invasive species, planting, roads and fencing.

Executive director Kirsty Flanagan said the estimated capital costs would come to about £1m.

This would includes prelims, contingency, design development, additional surveys, statutory approvals and project management.

She said officers were still aiming to get external funding to progress the project. About £75,000 of funding has been secured so far.

She added: “The estimated capital costs include works to improve access at the far corner of the skating pond which is not in council ownership.

“It may be that this could be funded in later years, delivered in-kind or excluded from scope as although important for access, would require permissions and consideration of liability.

“Maintenance costs for the skating pond are currently circa £5,000 per annum for grass cutting and edging, and there are no figures available for pond or tree maintenance which are required but are not cyclical.

“It is anticipated that there will be a need for circa £4,000 for pond maintenance in addition to grounds maintenance costs.”

Reporting by local democracy reporter Andrew Galloway.