PLANS to sell an area of land in Vale of Leven Industrial Estate to help underpin the future expansion of Chivas Brothers have been rubber stamped.

Members of the West Dunbartonshire Council Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development Committee considered and approved the proposals to sell the land for £40,000.

The land relates to an area on Levenside Business Court, which is part of Vale of Leven Industrial Estate.

It’s required by a company called McPherson Ltd, who have a UK-wide contract with Chivas for the distribution of their products.

Last month the Reporter told how plans were approved for McPherson Ltd to establish a large heavy goods vehicle operating centre in the Vale – bringing up to 20 new jobs.

The centre will be built on an area of land on the west edge of Vale of Leven Industrial Estate following approval at a meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council’s planning committee. The new centre will be used to help underpin the £40 million expansion of Chivas Brothers.

The Scotch whisky and gin maker last year announced its intention to invest in a new state-of-the-art facility over the next three years at its Kilmalid site.

Plans include a bottling hall and office set for completion by the end of 2019, which will be newly designed and purpose built.

The proposal from McPherson Ltd sought permission to form a heavy goods vehicle operating centre, comprising a new workshop building and parking area on land at Burroughs Way, between the River Leven and the council’s recently constructed industrial units.

The plan for McPherson Ltd is to consolidate their existing sites at Kilmalid, Dumbuck, Dalmuir, Paisley and sites in Ayrshire and bring them into a single operating centre.

Part of the masterplan also includes plans to build a large parking area for as many as 80 lorries – before a further 32 would be created at a later phase – a workshop building area and a vehicle wash station.

The operating centre would be in use 24 hours per day throughout the week. Approximately 60 existing staff, mainly drivers, will relocate to the site from their existing operating bases, and around 15 to 20 new jobs are expected to be created within the first year.