More than £10 million of funding will be used to redevelop Dumbarton’s Artizan Centre which could see the creation of a healthcare centre and 112 affordable homes. 

West Dunbartonshire Council has been awarded a total of £22.1 million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF) to tackle the decline of Dumbarton Town Centre while working to deliver three “key projects”.

They include refurbishing Glencairn House, “connecting Dumbarton” and the part-demolition and redevelopment of the Artizan Centre – which was purchased by the local authority in March 2022. 

The council has agreed to use £10.1 million of the funding on the Artizan development which will see the two rear units being knocked down. 

A planning application in principle for the site is now expected to be submitted to the council and will include 112 residential units as well as a primary healthcare facility. 

Retail units, restaurants, cafes, takeaways, pubs as well as office and leisure sites could be included in the initial plans as well as the creation of new public space, innovative play areas and outdoor seating areas. 

Proposals were brought before the most recent IRED (infrastructure, regeneration and economic development) committee. 

Chairman David McBride said: “There has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes in this one and a lot of progress in a short space of time.

“It is a really exciting opportunity to make a difference to Dumbarton Town Centre and it really doesn’t come along that often so we need to get it right.

“We need to take our time and I think what we have here is the right aspirations by taking in all the comments from the community but we need to be extremely flexible going forward because none of us know what is going to be the condition of retail and town centre living in five years time. 

“So we set out our plans but we can be flexible and one of the main things as well is to protect the current retail offer that we have and we are talking to the retailers there who are currently with us.

“With that I am more than happy to move the recommendations and look forward to this exciting development.”

A planning permission will be brought before members in due course with phase one of the work expected to begin in 2024.