Work set to begin on £16.4m development in Dumbarton Town Centre

The Council plans to relocate 500 staff currently based at Garshake to the offices at the site of the former Dumbarton Academy building in Church Street. The design will retain the A-listed facade of the historic building and construct new offices at the rear.

To make way for the new development, the annexe behind the current façade and a section of the boundary wall are being demolished and the site cleared. The car park at the site will be closed from Monday, 15 June, to allow work to commence.

Residents and businesses in the area are being contacted to advise them of the work which is expected to take four weeks.

Councillor Patrick McGlinchey, convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration, and Economic Development said: “It’s fantastic to see our plans to regenerate Dumbarton town centre beginning to take shape. This is the first step towards creating new Council offices in the town and restoring a landmark building. The demolition will last for just four weeks and will be taking place Monday to Friday during business hours to minimise the impact on neighbouring properties.

Councillor David McBride, Vice-Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development, added: “Moving 500 council staff into the town centre is going to breathe life back into the town and provide a welcome boost to the economy and businesses. This work will mark a new chapter for this area of the town which will be transformed.”

The new office will cost approximately £16.4million but save the Council £300,000 per year over the lifetime of the building compared to maintaining the current Garshake offices. The move to Dumbarton will also provide a catalyst for further regeneration activities in Dumbarton town centre.

Further works to prepare the site for development are scheduled to begin in late autumn. The new building is expected to open in Spring 2017.

To find out more about the project visit the community consultation page on the Council’s web site