Councillors to discuss £27m West Dunbartonshire regeneration plans

A report about the progress of the Clyde Valley City Deal project, which would see the former EXXON site in Bowling undergo a £27.897million transformation, will be presented to councillors on Wednesday.

The plans would see a road built through the site providing an alternative route in and out of West Dunbartonshire in the event of any problems with the A82.

It would also create at least 20,000m2 of industrial and commercial development space, supporting up to 690 full time jobs, with the site potentially generating an additional £31.9 million each year for the local economy.

The project’s Strategic Business Case shows that West Dunbartonshire Council would contribute £3.817m to the overall project cost, with the remainder being funded by grants from the UK and Scottish Governments.

Councillors will be asked to approve the Strategic Business Case, which would then be presented to the Clyde Valley City Deal Cabinet for final approval on August 18.

Once this has happened consultations with the local community can begin.

The recommendations also include approval for a capital spend of up to £500,000 in the 2015/16 budget to progress creating outline and detailed business cases.

Jim McAloon, head of regeneration and economic development, said: “This site offers real potential to West Dunbartonshire’s future economic development, and would make a significant contribution to economic growth across the Clyde Valley. The proposed development could provide high quality employment opportunities and make a positive contribution to increasing the prosperity and wealth across the area. It is now up to Councillors to decide if the recommendations are approved.”

If the recommendations are approved, a further progress report would be provided at the next full council meeting on August 26.

Any subsequent infrastructure work would be unlikely to start until late in 2018 and the first plots would not be available until 2021 at the earliest.