A multi-million pound regeneration project near Bowling has taken a step forward.

West Dunbartonshire Council could agree the purchase of the former Exxon site in early 2017 if negotiations go to plan, according to a report going before councillors this month.

The council wants to transform the site near Bowling with a major industrial and commercial development, and create a road to provide an alternative route in and out of West Dunbartonshire.

The project would support up to 690 full time jobs, with the site potentially generating an additional £19.1m each year for the West of Scotland economy.

The project is part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal which would see the council contribute £3.8m to the overall £28m regeneration project.

A report being presented to councillors on at the full council meeting later this month sets out a timeline for the delivery of this project.

The first major milestone is anticipated to be a purchase agreement for the site will be provided from Exxon by November, with any conditions and a purchase price included.

The council would then have six months to negotiate an agreement, if it chooses to purchase the land.

If this was successful, it is hoped that a masterplan for the site would be submitted for planning permission by October 2017, with work on site then scheduled to start at the beginning of 2020.

The report to go to councillors for the meeting on April 27 also states that Exxon has confirmed its commitment to ensuring the site is remediated. In addition, the council should have access to the site by the end of this month to allow site investigations to be made, agreed by Exxon in early March this year.

The Glasgow City Region City Deal is an agreement between the UK Government, the Scottish Government and eight local authorities across Glasgow and the Clyde Valley.

West Dunbartonshire’s Strategic Business Case for the Exxon project, which was approved in June last year, shows that the council would contribute £3.8m to the overall project cost, with the remainder being funded by grants from the UK and Scottish Governments.

Jim McAloon, the council’s Strategic Lead for Regeneration, said: “The City Deal project is one of the key regeneration priorities for the council as we aim to improve economic growth and employability throughout West Dunbartonshire.

"The council report lists the progress being made to acquire the Exxon site and how we propose to move forward together.

"It is up to councillors to consider and approve our plans and the new timeline for the project.”