Helensburgh's £22m leisure centre's roof to be replaced after Storm Eowyn 100mph wind damage
The roof of the £22million Helensburgh Leisure Centre was ripped off in January when Storm Eowyn battered Scotland with 100mph winds - and it will now have to be replaced
The roof of Helensburgh's storm-hit leisure centre will have to be completely replaced after it was ripped off in 100mph winds earlier this year.
The £22million state-of-the-art facility was severely damaged when Storm Eowyn battered Scotland back in January.
Shocking images captured the moment the storm winds – which triggered a rare red weather warning – lifted the roof off of the building.
The centre only opened to the public in September 2022.
Now, almost five months on, Argyll and Bute Council have revealed that the repair will require the facility's entire roof to be completely replaced.
Providing an update last week, the council said that the repair work continues to progress, but said that it is proving to be a 'complex process'.
In a statement, the council said: 'The roof has been damaged to such an extent that the entire roofing system will require to be removed and then relayed layer by layer. Unfortunately, it is not as straightforward as sourcing more roofing sheets and re-attaching them as has been suggested by some.
'Given that almost 60% of the outer roofing materials were lost during the storm, an internal rainwater capture system has been recommended by the insurers and disaster recovery experts which is common in similarly damaged buildings.
'This system has been installed by the council and its contractors, and protects the internals from further water damage, whilst allowing roofing contractors to work on the building from above.'
The council extended its gratitude to those who helped when the storm hit the region, adding: 'If we had not got things moving as quickly as we did, the repair time could have been longer.
'We also want to thank the users of the leisure centre who have been patient while we take the necessary steps to rectify the situation and have taken up the alternative arrangements put in place by Live Argyll to provide leisure services.'
The repair efforts have included identifying the extent of the damage to the building, and from there the repairs needed to re-instate and reduce the risk of similar events happening again, liaising with loss adjustors and insurers about financing the recovery work, commissioning contractors to carry out work, and working with Live Argyll on alternative proposals for leisure services while this work is being done
So far, the work has already seen protection measures introduced, car parking and electric vehicle charging made available again, gym and fitness classes temporarily moved to other facilities.
Additionally an elaborate 'water capture system' has been put in place to protect the building form further damage.
As yet, no definitive timescale for the completion of the repairs has been given, but the council estimates that it could take until March next year before it opens its doors again.
The council statement added: 'Our aim is to get the centre open again as soon as practicable. We cannot yet give a definite timescale for this because various key steps and survey works are ongoing, and the repair and the timescale for completion will be dependent on those, and also on the availability of the roofing materials, availability of specialist labour, and sequencing of the repairs.
'These will all have a bearing on the repair programme, and while we have no definitive programme date for completion, it's clear that it will be several months before the leisure centre is reopened. At this time, and based on the information available a reasonable estimate for reopening could be no later than the end of March 2026.
'We are continuing to work with our contractors and insurers to investigate if there is potential to re-open the pool, located on the ground floor area, ahead of the completion of the works on the first floor. This will not be possible until the entirety of the roof is replaced, as there will be works ongoing immediately above the pool and electrical systems, which the pool relies upon, require to be repaired. This will, however, be kept under review as the programme and sequencing of complex repair is developed with our contractors.
The council's Policy Lead for Finance and Commercial Services, Councillor Ross Moreland, said: 'We want Helensburgh Leisure Centre to reopen as soon as possible, and we are working hard behind the scenes to make this happen. We are making progress as quickly as circumstances allow, but it is a complex process.
'The ferocity of Storm Eowyn caused considerable damage to the leisure centre. We are extremely grateful to everyone who assisted and stepped up during the initial clear-up to get things moving quickly. We know how much the people of Helensburgh and Lomond value the leisure centre, and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. We hope to have more information about the timeline for repairs in the coming weeks, and we will share this as soon as we can.'
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