DUMBARTON will get a £2.5m walkway to help link the historic castle to the town centre and spark a mass regeneration of the area.

And the walkway, along with cycle path, will be in place within the next two and a half years, The Reporter can reveal.

Members of the West Dunbartonshire Council Planning Committee agreed to grant full planning permission for the project at their meeting in Clydebank Town Hall last Wednesday.

The idea behind the walkway and cycle path is to increase visitor numbers at Dumbarton Castle and, in turn, encourage more footfall in the centre of town with people using the new route.

And along with the opening of the new council offices in Church Street later this year-as well as the new housing development in Castle Street- the regeneration projects in and around the centre of town hope to breath new economic life into the area.

Council leader Martin Rooney said: "This is fantastic news for Dumbarton.

"Local residents supported the Castle Walkway at the Dumbarton Charette and this was included in the community led action plan for the town.

"Last year West Dunbartonshire council approved £7m of funding to support the charette action plans and Dumbarton will get a significant share of this funding.

"The walkway is vital for linking the town centre with Dumbarton Castle and the St. James retail park in Dumbarton."

The report which came before planning committee members last week said: "Full planning permission is sought for the formation of a waterfront path which would provide pedestrian and cycle access between Riverside Lane and Dumbarton Rock, with a spur to link it to the Morrison’s superstore car park and the Scottish maritime Museum."

The total length of the path would be approximately 1,140m and made of asphalt.

In addition, appropriate public spaces will be established, while in the the path will also be lit to encourage use at various times of the day to maximise "pedestrian connectivity."

At Dumbarton waterfront, money is being set aside from the local authority's Regeneration Capital Fund to develop the walkway and cycle path from the town centre to the castle.

And an additional £1m is expected to be sourced from housing developers and other commercial partners.

Michael McGuinness, the local authority's economic development officer, told the packed meeting that the site between Riverside Edge and Riverside Lane Dumbarton had been "dormant for many years."

He also revealed how the local authority was working "very hard" with landowners around the basin such as Turnberry Homes and Dumbarton Football Club, to get to this point.

He continued: "It's about linking the castle to the town centre and out some additional life into the area and increase visitors."

Mr McGuinness also told how the local authority was working closely with charitable organisation Sustrans, who help enable people to travel by foot, bike or public transport more often, because it was "important to get expertise in order to get the plans brought forward."