Argyll and Bute Council is set to relaunch the tender process for the £18 million Helensburgh Waterfront project following an inadvertent technical breach.

The search was underway for a contractor to take the development forward, but due to the fault construction will now temporarily pause.

The next tender will ensure legal compliance and include the option of using Helensburgh pier to deliver the new leisure centre and swimming pool development effectively.

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The pier is one of the projects across Argyll and Bute that will benefit from an allocation of £1.2 million from the Scottish government's Town Centre Fund. The council agreed that £85,000 should be invested in pedestrian access enhancements at the pier.

Councillor Gary Mulvaney, Policy Lead for Strategic Finance and Capital Regeneration Programme, said: "The old chestnut, that no good deed goes unpunished, seems to perfectly illustrate this situation. The procurement rules are complex and strict to ensure a fair process for all. Having taken legal advice, the lowest risk approach is to re-set the tender process and start again. Not ideal, but better than a challenge later.



"On a positive note, council officers will be able to focus on developing details of the £85,000 investment in the pier. We know this matters to local people and look forward to work beginning on it."

(CM/MH)