WEST Dunbartonshire Council has agreed to sell part of the old Bonhill Primary School site for £1.

Members rubber-stamped the proposal during a meeting last week of the West Dunbartonshire Council housing and communities committee.

The land will now be taken on by a housing association so that social housing can be built at a later date.

Councillor Jonathan McColl, committee member, said: “When this planning application came to the committee we were all very pleased with the ideas we were getting at the time. “Obviously, we were saddened by the loss of Bonhill Primary School building to a fire but now this is something good that can come of it.”

A report that went before members said: “The purpose of this report is to seek committee approval for the proposed sale of part of the site of the former Bonhill Primary School to Cube Housing Association (CHA).

“The subject site is the location of the former Bonhill Primary School, Bonhill, which was demolished in 2010.”

Cube Housing requested to take on a section of the site and transform it into social housing.

The report said: “The subject site is identified as a strategic site in the Property and Land Disposal Strategy 2013 – 2018 as approved at the housing, environment and economic development committee on February 13, 2013, and thereafter updated and submitted to the same committee on June 18, 2014.

“The strategy was again updated and presented to the infrastructure, regeneration and economic development (IRED) committee on December 14, 2016.

“Within the Delivering New Housing in West Dunbartonshire – Strategic Housing Partnership report approved by the housing, environment and economic development committee at its meeting on May 7, 2014, the former Bonhill Primary School and three former Clydebank School sites were identified as housing development projects (via the council’s SHIP) to be taken forward with a strategic housing partner to deliver the social rented units on part of the sites.”

Now that the proposal has been agreed, as many as 44 social housing properties are expected to be built at the site.

The report stated: “The site is located in a predominantly residential area and provides opportunity for residential development to comprise in the order of 44 homes, all for social rent.

“Opposite the site across Main Street is the new Bonhill Primary School with private cottages to the south and private flats to the north. Behind the site to the west are open fields.”

Construction work could begin this year.

The report added: “This development site is given a high priority within the SHIP with a projected site start date of 2017/18 to provide much-needed social housing.

“Following completion of the development, revenue will be generated through increased tax receipts.”