Work has officially started on Clydebank’s new state of the art leisure centre at the town’s historic Queen’s Quay.

The new £22 million four-storey building is set to open in early 2017 and offers a significant enhancement on facilities currently available at the Play Drome.

It will include: a 25-metre swimming pool, teaching pool, leisure pool with waves and flume; changing facilities, a café, multi-purpose sports hall with badminton, netball, basketball, hockey and five-a-side football courts and retractable seating, fitness suite, and dance studio.

Councillor Patrick McGlinchey, convener of infrastructure and regeneration, said: “This is a fantastic day for Clydebank. These plans for the new leisure centre were first discussed in 2006. It has been a long road to get to where we are today and it’s not been without its challenges but we are now on site and starting work on the project which will deliver a facility our town can be proud of.”

The leisure centre, which will enjoy outlooks over the River Clyde, is the first in a series of developments planned to regenerate Queen’s Quay which was once the bustling heart of Clydebank’s shipbuilding industry.

The council has also committed to investing £15.6m in infrastructure works including new roads, to prepare Queen’s Quay for further development including an 84 bed care home and day care centre.

Council leader Martin Rooney added: “Clydebank has a proud sporting history and this centre is going to hone the next generation of sporting talent. It marks the start of a new chapter for Queen’s Quay and I think we are all excited to welcome the first of our residents to the new centre in 2017.”

The centre, which is being built next to West College Scotland and the council’s Aurora House offices, will be operated on behalf of the council by West Dunbartonshire Leisure.

The project is being delivered by hub West Scotland, the council’s development partner. The main contractor is BAM and the architects are Kennedy Fitzgerald.

The council agreed on Wednesday to market the current Play Drome site for sale to a commercial developer.