Shopping centre to be bought by council for £1.7m

Dumbarton’s Artizan Shopping Centre is to be bought by West Dunbartonshire Council for £1.7m as part of a move to re-develop the site.

During a committee meeting the local authority agreed to purchase and leasehold interests in the centre from Mars Real Estate Investment BV.

The proposal will be funded from the UK Levelling up Fund application, which is subject to approval, and could see the partial or full demolition of the site to make way for new homes.

West Dunbartonshire Council is also considering how the pedestrianised shopping precinct can be used to provide recreational space, parking and other community resources while helping existing businesses move into empty buildings on the nearby high street.

The council will purchase the building even if their levelling up funding application is unsuccessful.

An update was brought before the infrastructure, regeneration and economic development committee recently.

Labour councillor David McLaren said: “The paper is recommending that we purchase the site. We do know that we will get the application in for the Levelling up Fund and we will purchase the centre regardless of this.

“Should the application to the Levelling up Fund be successful, we could move on with a partial demolition of the site.

“I think this is an excellent proposal and makes sense in so many ways and I really want to thank the officers who have brought this report to us since we decided to submit the Levelling up Fund application.

“We all hope we are successful in that but if we are not we have to have plan B and this will give us a considerable start.”

By local democracy reporter Catherine Hunter