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West Dunbartonshire Council City Deal Project is approved by Councillors

Ambitious proposals to create a major industrial and commercial development in Bowling has taken another step forward, as its full business case was recently approved by Councillors.

The £44m project will see the former ExxonMobil site transformed into a mixed-use development, with storage, distribution, industrial, business and office space.

The project will also include a number of road improvements connecting to the site, including the addition of a 1.95km relief road through West Dunbartonshire. Of the 150 acre site, 47 acres is planned for development, with green network and green infrastructure enhancements including a waterfront pedestrian and cycle path being proposed. In addition, a heritage area has been identified around listed structure Dunglass Castle.

The proposed development is part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal, an agreement between the UK Government, the Scottish Government and eight Local Authorities across Glasgow and the Clyde Valley.

At a meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council on Wednesday, elected members approved a Full Business Case for the site. The business case outlined that the project is expected to provide up to 980 full time jobs, as well as an additional 660 jobs during the construction stage. It is expected to bring £43.8m of additional private investment, and £520.8m net additional GVA by 2037.

Council Leader, Councillor Martin Rooney, said:

“The agreement of this Full Business Case takes us a step closer to delivery of a hugely ambitious project which will benefit our area for years to come.

“This project is expected to deliver a huge amount of jobs in our area, and bring a return 26 times greater than our investment, which will be fantastic for West Dunbartonshire and the City Region as a whole.

“Residents will also see the benefits of a site which has been lying idle for years coming back into productive use, as well as the introduction of a much-needed relief road, providing an alternative route for traffic between Milton Junction and Dunglass Roundabout, and public access to greenspace areas at the site.”

Depute Council Leader, Councillor Michelle McGinty, added:

“It was great to see continued cross-party support for this important project, which will be such a positive addition to the area.

“This will be one of the biggest infrastructure improvements in West Dunbartonshire’s history, and I look forward to seeing the project progress.”

The business case will now be presented to the Glasgow City Region Chief Executive Group and subsequently to Cabinet for approval in August. If the Final Business Case is approved by cabinet, the plans will go to a future Planning Committee for consideration.