The Queen has honoured a man who helped bring multi-million pound investment projects and associated jobs to West Dunbartonshire.

David Robert Hastings, a former chief executive of Strathleven Regeneration Community Interest Company, has been made an MBE in the New Year Honours for services to economic regeneration in the area.

Strathleven Regeneration was established after the shock closure in 2000 of the former J&B bottling plant.

The closure was seen as a body blow for the town which, for more than a generation, had been regarded as a ‘whisky town’.

At the time of the closure, some 470 people were employed at the plant.

With the support of Diageo, West Dunbartonshire Council and Scottish Enterprise, Strathleven Regeneration was formed as a special purpose vehicle to facilitate the physical and economic regeneration of the former bottling plant and associated land on the A82 at Dumbarton.

In 2004, Strathleven Regeneration entered into a formal partnership with property developers Walker Group (Scotland) Limited and, following complex planning processes, the Lomondgate project was launched in late 2007.

The entire footprint of the J&B plant has been fully regenerated, with BBC Scotland’s Dumbarton Studios/River City set and three housing developments comprising 344 new homes.

An assessment last year, showed that Lomondgate had created over 700 jobs and generated £365m for region’s economy.

In another New Year’s Honour, the former principal of West College Scotland has also been made an MBE.

Audrey Cumberford was principal and chief executive of the college since its formation five years ago following the merger of Clydebank College, James Watt College in Greenock and Paisley’s Reid Kerr College.

Before the merger, Ms Cumberford had been principal of Reid Kerr College.

She was made principal at Edinburgh College earlier this year.

In paying tribute to Ms Cumberford when she left to take up her new role in Edinburgh, Keith McKellar, chair of the board of management at West College Scotland, said Audrey had led them through a period of unprecedented change and significant turbulence in the sector.

In response, Ms Cumberford, who is widely regarded as among the most influential and forward-thinking leaders in the sector, said plans she had helped develop would deliver top class facilities.

: “I am confident the ambitious plans we have developed will allow the college to continue to enhance its reputation as a first-class provider of education and training, delivered in state-of-the-art facilities in Clydebank, Greenock and Paisley.”