Storm-damaged roof will need a full replacement

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.

- CHRIS MARZELLA

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 has 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 per cent 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.”