A STRATEGIC partnership between a Vale charity and West Dunbartonshire Council in a bid to help breathe new life into the area has “stalled”, councillors have been told.

The link-up between the local authority and the Leamy Foundation has been in the pipeline for several months.

The charity and council want to set up community food growing hubs in Alexandria, Dumbarton and Clydebank, increase opportunities for community volunteering, and use locally-grown food to cut the area’s carbon footprint.

But a report to a full meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council warned that because of procurement legislation, a partnership with the charity “may only be possible...to a limited extent, or alternatively may only be possible following a formal procurement process”.

Giving an update at last week’s meeting, Dumbarton councillor and depute provost Karen Conaghan said: “Members may look at the report and think there should be a bit more as to where we are going with this.

“Progress has been made and has kind of been stalled at this point due to a request from Leamy.

“There have been a lot of discussions ongoing about this.”

Councillor Caroline McAllister (Alba Party, Leven) asked for more information on the pause in progress towards a formal partnership.

In response, Cllr Conaghan said: “There are a couple of confidential things that are not for open forum, but it certainly wasn’t any desire to not progress. It was just due to a capacity issue from Leamy.”

In the report, it stated that the partnership was expected to last for two years starting October 2021.

The Leamy Foundation was invited to comment but had not provided a response by the time the Reporter went to press.