PLANS to build a new £6m Lidl store in Dumbarton- with the potential of creating as many as 100 new jobs- are expected to be revived later this year.

A spokesman for the supermarket retailer has told The Reporter discussions with West Dunbartonshire Council are ongoing but they WILL submit updated designs to the local authority.

The spokesman said: "Meetings and discussions are still ongoing with West Dunbartonshire Council and we will be submitting updated designs that we hope will be viewed at the September planning committee at the earliest."

Back in April The Reporter told how members of West Dunbartonshire Council's Planning Committee were asked to consider refusing permission for the new store in Castle Street- by their own Planning and Buildings Standards division.

However, in a partial climbdown, the committee instead voted in favour of continuing the matter until a later date.

Then committee chairman Lawrence O'Neill proposed a motion to continue the matter.

That resulted in Lidl bosses going back to the drawing board, literally, to come up with a brand new design.

Five previous designs were mooted but all five were deemed 'unsuitable.'

The Lidl application relates to an area of land near the eastern half of the old distillery land.

They had sought a 6,000m² retail development spread over four units with three of those units allocated for non-food retailers, creating 41 jobs on top of the 60 or so for the supermarket.

But Pamela Clifford, the local authority's planning and buildings standard manager previously said: "We have worked very hard with Lidl to get acceptable designs but our recommendation is for refusal."

Some of the concerns included the impact a Lidl development would have on WDC's own walkway project, which will link the Castle to the town centre.

There was also concerns over potential "noise issues" from the service yard where trucks would deliver their goods.

It was claimed that it could impact on a future housing development being built nearby.

Buildings and Standards also claimed that the development and external appearance of the proposed buildings would "not be in keeping" with the character of the surrounding area and would "not be of an appropriate quality" for the waterfront and town centre site."

Ms Clifford revealed that her department had taken part in "a lot of

meetings" and put in a lot of "time and effort" so that Lidl had the opportunity to come up with alternative proposals that were satisfactory but that there had been "no significant changes" to the development.

Lidl representatives also made submissions to the committee with one of them stating that the proposed Castle Street store was part of a £15m planned investment in West Dunbartonshire, including one earmarked for Alexandria- and the relocation of the one in Clydebank.

Other elected officials spoke in favour of the proposed store and urged "further dialogue" between the local authority and Lidl in order to come up with compromise.

The Reporter understand that further dialogue has taken place behind the scenes in order to reach a compromise to the designs.

A Lidl spokesman added: "As things are still being discussed there is no further information at this time on the designs or any photos or plan."