Dear Supporter

It has been six months since we last contacted you about our campaign to stop Argyll and Bute Council putting a supermarket on Helensburgh's much-valued waterfront - and we are still fighting to stop it.

With your help, we have reached an incredible 5000 signatures, with online and paper signatories combined.

Thank you for all your support.

Since we last got in touch, Helensburgh Community Council has continued to try and meet with Council leader Jim Lynch to raise our concerns directly and find a mutually agreeable solution. We have written on a number of occasions and even travelled to Argyll and Bute Council's headquarters in Lochgilphead - but with no success. All our requests to meet have been denied.

On 4th July, we are taking Argyll and Bute Council to court over its plans to build a supermarket on our waterfront.

Helensburgh Community Council has not come to this decision lightly, but the strength of community concern and opposition needs to be heard by Argyll and Bute Council. By stopping the supermarket development now we could prevent Argyll and Bute Council entering a time consuming and expensive planning process.

There will be a judicial review into Argyll and Bute Council's decision to develop a supermarket on 4th July.

On 4th July, the Court of Session in Edinburgh will hear a judicial review about whether Argyll and Bute Council's public consultation to make this decision was good enough. We hope the court will find that the process, including consulting a mere 83 people, does not meet the standard required of a public consultation. 

If the judicial review is successful, we expect Argyll and Bute Council will have to re-run the process to choose the plans for the waterfront, including a genuine public consultation. This could stop the supermarket development in its tracks.

Now we need your help to cover the legal costs.

We have saved money by representing ourselves in the early legal stages, and sought out the most affordable legal support we can. Now we need to fundraise for court fees and a contribution to the legal fees. We estimate this could be as much as £30,000, on top of the £8,670 that we previously raised. 

We know this is an expensive process and, at a time when money is tight, we know this is a big ask.

If you are in a position to help, please donate using the link below: 
https://www.gofundme.com/f/stop-the-supermarket

All the funds will be used for legal and professional fees to mount this judicial review. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Best wishes,
Polly on behalf of Helensburgh Community Council