The Public were asked to write comments on postit notes during the Helensburgh Conservation Areas Group Exhibition
in the Pillar Hall, Victoria Halls from Saturday 27th January through Saturday 3rd February 2007. The responses to the various
topics follow:-
How can we ensure that resident’s in the Conservation Areas are kept aware of their responsibilities?
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How about a booklet available to residents, estate agents and lawyers- giving information and contacts?
+Good idea. + Yes. + Definitely yes + very good. I like it + Excellent idea. + Very popular idea. Go 4 it.
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Annual or biennial awards for excellent examples of preservation and enhancement- small projects and large. +Yes.
+ Good idea. + Schools- older pupils create committee to determine. + Great idea but have some booby prizes for poor maintenance.
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Encourage estate agents to include it in marketing details- maybe a symbol or logo. Helensburgh Conservation Area on brochures, adverts.
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Risks to integrity of built environment: Prepare a booklet for homeowners explaining about lime mortar versus cement and damp and state
alternatives for roofing.
- Have a focal point- a small harbour adjacent to the pier. Declare independence. Go back to a Burgh Council.
- Try an A5 flyer with Community Advertiser or Utility/ Community Charge bill.
- Boundaries signposted to increase awareness (with logo)
- Booklet issued when property for sale. Use solicitors and estate agents.
- Taught in schools. Start young. Shame parents if necessary.
- Stiffer penalties imposed on those who break the law- litter, vandalism etc. Positively: educating children at a young age
of the importance of conservation.
- Brilliant idea to involve the schools.
- Provide an “approved list” of contractors who have the skills & track record to maintain the superb properties.
Fear of “cowboys” is one factor in postponing remedial work.
- Publish responsibilities in Community Advertiser. Push local council for legislation to enforce it. Education?
BIG PRINT on paper work when buying property in Helensburgh.
- I agree with making people pay for things they vandalise and fines for littering and dog fouling.
Good idea to teach children in school at an early age, even though parents are ultimately responsible.
- Residents’ responsibilities?? Let us know. Is there a leaflet?. If not, distribute one asap.
- Old buildings. No vandalism.
- Involve schools.
- Make ‘em Pay.
- Charge them if they vandalise anything.
- I like the gargoyles.
- Weekly feature of historic house in the Advertiser to promote heritage & awareness.
- Pity Conservation Area could not be extended to include the river frontage. Most visitors see that and it is so poorly maintained.
Do you think it would be worth exploring the desirability and feasibility of creating a Conservation Area based on the town centre?
- Great Idea
- Whole town should be a Conservation Area. Perhaps then the town centre shops could become more individual again rather than
the “anywhere in Britain” syndrome.
- Conservation Areas attract investment. It does not discourage.
- Go further than just the town centre. Helensburgh as a whole should be a conservation Town.
- Only if it brings funding
- Only once we have started doing a better job on protecting the existing area.
- If it helps preserve the town – yes.
- Yes but only if development is allowed. At present, this area is sadly neglected, very depressed and an embarrassment
to the whole of Helensburgh. Clyde Street School in particular has to be preserved.
- Yes but as part of an overall strategy of development and improvement- with investment.
- Pier head area should not be developed commercially but retained as a public leisure and recreation area.
- Improve the pier and make it more visually enhanced- no grotty funfair and rubbish around.
- Definitely Not!
- No. We need retail development not retail discouragement + Agreed.
- Clyde Street School. What is going to happen- is this going to be pulled down and who is going to develop the site. + I agree.
- Lower town is subject to increasing flooding as global warming takes effect.
- Any building on pier site liable to storm damage and flooding..
- Very Good Exhibition + Yes.
- My favourite was the colourful pictures
- I enjoyed the Exhibition
- I thought Neil Macleod in particular was very good.
- Excellent display
- What happened to the Drill Hall on East Princes Street? + What is happening to the site? + Shelter on the east
promenade derelict, removed. + What next.
Suggest ways of using the Conservation Areas as a means of enhancing the enjoyment of visitors to the town?
- Produce guided walks for a) different architects b) different styles c) a holistic overview . Print leaflets. + supported.
- Produce guided walk leaflets of the street trees.
- A guide to the various houses in the Area
- Leaflets for themed walks. Website.
- Self-guided walk booklets from TIC- or maybe audio-guides (big deposit!). Open days when tours can include the houses behind
the walls and hedges.
- Helensburgh- a whole Conservation Area. As a newcomer to this lovely area I am dismayed by- lack of imagination with the
seafront area/ pier area; poor toilet facilities; poor regard for disabled access- to start with. Architectural walks and exhibitions
would be wonderful.
- Helensburgh should be a Conservation town
- Extend the conservation border.
- Guided architectural & historical walks.
- Improve the signposts which are not very clear.
- Promote inclusion in heritage “circuit”
- Maybe more street signing for visitors. What can be done to encourage/sustain shops in town? It’s so sad to see how
the “town” experience has changed!
- Do consider commissioning a statue of John Logie Baird. The existing one, however lifelike, does not do him justice.
- Make the town centre more welcoming. Create more signs indicating walks through town. Illustrate areas/buildings of
aesthetic/ architectural interest.
- Better management of wooded areas & better signs & walking guides.
- Not enough public toilets. Public squalor.
- Re-build badger statue in Duchess Wood
- Minibus tours with guide.
- Walkers guide to most interesting buildings.
- Closer links with Hill House to encourage visitors to explore the Conservation Area. Keep people in town for a few
hours extra. May generate business for coffee shops, restaurants etc i.e. economic spin-off. + Supported
- Keep the seafront clean. More information on the interesting buildings and history of Helensburgh. Guided walks.
- Maintain the seafront. Clean the beach regularly. Clear signposts.
- Persuade other towns to advertise Helensburgh.
- The woodland paths could be improved and signposts to Hill House put up.
- Be wary of developers and Argyle planning.
- Town Trail leaflets pointing out age of houses (& architectural points of note). Also, types of trees.
Give distances to (& estimated time needed) of the suggested walks (driving not to be encouraged!) Guided walks in the tourist
season- starting from the tourist office.
- Architectural walk
- Themed heritage trails.
- Toured walks.
- Brochure/ guide to architectural points of interest.
- Old Houses.
- Absolutely no more infilling should be allowed. The Clyde St Centre must be preserved.
- Pavements and verges should be tidied up and low over-hanging trees cut back. Signage should be reduced- there’s far
too much and it is un-necessary.
What aspects of the Conservation Areas are most in need of improvement?
- The pavements or lack of them. The street furniture is not in keeping.
- Roads and street lighting. Do something to protect the grass verges.
- More dog wardens to police oaths that are spoiled by irresponsible dog owners not cleaning up after their dogs.
- Hermitage Park is a great disappointment. It looks very neglected and it could be an attraction if properly maintained.
- Hermitage Park is rundown and uninspiring- does not reflect well on Helensburgh. (another Council problem). General
cleanliness of town- too much litter everywhere. General streetscape. Maintenance by Council is very poor.
- All listed artefacts e.g. lamp standards which were outside Templeton Library. Where are they?
- Extend walkway along the front to Craigendoran from pier and East Bay. Stop parking on verges by reversing the idiotic
charge in centre of pier car park.
- The roads and pavements. More pro-active support from Council.
- Disability access in town centre. High kerbs not suitable.
- The east. It’s much older and contains the historic centre, Henry Bell memorabilia etc.
- The vandalise seafront. Wardens on duty during busy periods e.g. litter, dog-fouling, damage to walls, to trees. + I agree.
- Replace trees which have been removed by Council- see Glasgow Street.
- Pavements or lack of them. (Could be done on the grounds of health and safety). Street signs or lack of them. Should be
replaced when missing and consistent type- face throughout. Provision of bins for rubbish. Council cleaning to include pavements and hedges.
Hermitage Park.
- Some of the pavements are boggy grass. + True.
- Too many trees being pulled down. Do people get permission?
- A few traffic island son Sinclair Street and Clyde Street to make it safer for people to cross the road.
- The fairground on the front is an eyesore- detracts from the views of the river. + I agree. + I disagree. + agreed under
I disagree. + but it gives the kids something to do rather than hanging around on street corners.
- The seafront could use a cleaning up.
- What about listed buildings in lower town areas- which in the main are older? + I agree.
- Re-define boundaries with clear criteria for inclusion/exclusion.
- Replant trees which are dying; vandalised throughout the town
- The Duchess Woods are falling over.
- Craigendoran pier. What is it? Needs help.
- Remove all Sky dishes.
- The public toilets on the front (by the pool) are ugly and too prominent. + Yes. I agree. + The public toilets spoil the view.
- Reject more vast shops.
- There are other areas of the town badly needing attention- much more so than these areas.
- Sea Front. (twice)
- The seafront would be much nicer if the beach was cleaned. It is in a very dirty state.
- Seafront. Roads and pavements. Public Toilets- especially as Helensburgh is a tourist ton. Stopping dog-fouling and general
rubbish.
- Too much emphasis on Rennie Mackintosh. Other excellent architects in the area (Napier, Leiper, Paterson). Neglect of
Clyde Street School- shocking.
- Stop any development not in keeping. Replace/ maintain road-side tees. Maintain footpaths- do householder know whose
responsibility the paths outside their house is? Who tells them and suggests improvements? I assume it is not usually A&B C!
- I would like to see a small guide- book listing the architectural and other features- perhaps in the form of a walking tour-
listing also architectural and historical points of interest as well as a map showing locations.
- Running water- from ? drains- corner of Queen Street/ Sinclair Street- ices in winter across Queen Street. An accident
waiting to happen. But other areas too. Reported several times.
- Street Furniture i.e. lamp standards = waste bins + dog poo bins.
- Seafront path.
- The crossings at roads.
- The paths need to be taken over and maintained
- New developments should be innovative and not trying to create past styles (Pastiche). The diversity of houses is
one of the things that makes Helensburgh special. Safe is not always best. A house like the Bow House (East Argyle Street) adds to the town
and its future.
What aspects of the Conservation Areas do you think are most worthy of conservation?
- The streets and grass verges.
- Trees. Artwork of Children should have been more varied- not all Hill House.
- Trees, verges. No more building in front of properties in the area (Open old campsite at Woodend for needed housing.
- The buildings/ architecture. Trees.
- Old fencing and hedges.
- Footpaths and hedges. Tree lined streets must be looked after.
- The tree-lined streets and grass verges make Helensburgh look green and far more attractive. Shame the grass verges are
now being wrecked by parked cars and lorries. + This is a must for protection.
- Prevention of urban sprawl. Protecting the town boundaries and the footpaths & countryside beyond the town.
- The seafront. Tree-lines streets.
- Helensburgh pier certainly needs improvement to provide more use for tripper and private boats.
- Trees, houses, parks and seafront in particular.
- Trees along edges of .roads. Sensitive development in Conservation Area. Preserve/ enhance open aspect over Clyde from
Clyde Street (east and west) Can we have a path from pier eastwards?
- Town centre and seafront must be restored to a standard worthy of this beautiful town.
- Public parks and seafront.
- Old buildings.
- The buildings- maintaining continuity and integrity and viability.
- You can’t cherry pick. It has to look like an integrated whole.
- Views. Building details. Gates and Fences. Streetscape.
- More emphasis should be given to East Helensburgh.
- Trees, buildings, fences, old buildings.
- Trees and roads and street lighting.
- The old Victorian houses + agreed.
- Trees- in streets and gardens. Large buildings.
- The parking of vehicles on grass verges. It just mushes up the ground. Keep it clean.
- Everything. You cannot isolate individual elements from the total environment.
- The street trees/ grass verges.
- Tree-lined streets.