The mystery of disappearing Helensburgh road signs has been solved.
Earlier this month we reported how confusion reigned over the removal of signs welcoming visitors to Helensburgh – with council chiefs unaware of their staff having done so.
The town’s community council has also denied having removed the maroon signage at various points of Helensburgh, which have been earmarked for replacement.
Members of Helensburgh Community Council (HCC) approved designs for new signs to welcome visitors to the town in March 2021, but said at the time that no new signs would be put up until the money had been raised to pay for them.
The removal of the sign at the west end of the town, on Gareloch Road near the junction with Rhu Road Higher, was raised on social media, with one local resident, Fiona Baker, asking if anyone knew whether the sign had been taken away for a refresh or a replacement.
In response to Ms Baker’s query, HCC secretary Sarah Davies said the sign’s removal was “nothing to do with us” and that the matter had not been discussed at any of the organisation’s recent meetings.
Other social media users reported having seen work being carried out on similar signs at the eastern and northern entrances to the town, on Cardross Road and Sinclair Street. However, last week Sheenah Nelson of Helensburgh and Garelochside Rotary contacted the Lennox to put an end to the confusion.
She explained: “As everyone knows, the town’s entry signs have suffered from neglect and lack of maintenance over a number of years which made them hard to read at traffic speed and they did not reflect well on the town’s identity.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic the situation was discussed by Helensburgh Community Council over many months as to what to do to improve the situation.
“The signs themselves were over 20 years old and old fashioned by today’s standards. There was a consensus view
that a new design layout in modern materials should be examined.
“The Community Council partnered Helensburgh and Garelochside Rotary Club to establish a design team which undertook the task, and a completed design was floated in the local press and the Community Council to general agreement.
“The finished design which the late Roger Ferdinand participated in, articulated the previous colour palette and design elements from the promotional literature customarily used in various town events.
“We were also extremely fortunate to enter into discussion with the Faslane naval base and received support of the base and its main contractor Babcock International, who facilitated the construction and installation of the new signs as well as the repainting of the stands, spear-headed by Babcock project manager Mark Miller.
“We are deeply grateful to the naval base and Babcock for their assistance and support.”
