A DISUSED West Dunbartonshire Council building in Alexandria is to be sold to a housing developer for £88,000.

Members of the local authority’s infrastructure, regeneration and economic development committee agreed by a majority vote to sell the former social work offices at 19 Church Street to Edzell Properties Ltd, who plan to build new homes on the site.

But Labour councillors opposed the move and proposed that the building, which has been closed since 2018, be reopened to give social work staff a base in the area once again.

Councillor Martin Rooney, leader of the Labour opposition group, said: “I am going to move that we formally reject the recommendation to sell the social work offices in Alexandria and instead develop a plan to bring them back into operational use so that social work services can return to the Vale.

“Labour councillors opposed the disposal of Alexandria social work offices previously and our ambition is to return these services to the town.”

Council leader Jonathan McColl backed officers’ recommendation to sell the Church Street property, and said he wanted the public to know that social work services were still available in the Vale.

He said: “The building has been closed since 2018 and staff do have office space available to them.

“I am concerned that we would want to move them back into a building that can’t even be made wind- and water-tight.

“There is mould on the walls, carpets are sodden, staff had to collect water in buckets, and it is not an environment I would want any of our staff to be working in.

“We were told at the time of closing it that it wasn’t possible to bring it back up to condition.

“It would have to be bulldozed and rebuilt which is not something we can afford to do.”

Following the discussion the majority of members agreed to sell the building.

After the meeting, Councillor John Millar (Labour, Leven) said: “This was the last chance to save the Alexandria social work offices but like the Ladyton Library and community education centre the SNP have shown their determination to transfer or close public buildings in the Vale.

“Social workers have had a raw deal being moved about and local residents believe that the sale of this facility is a significant loss to the Vale.”