A GROUP of 20 college students will be involved in the development of the new £22 million Clydebank Leisure Centre.

West Dunbartonshire Council and its development partner hub West Scotland are promoting community benefits throughout the design and construction process of the new state-of-the-art four-storey facility.

Work to build the centre at Queens Quay started in June and BAM, who have been appointed by hub West Scotland to build the sports centre, have already made significant progress.

As part of the community benefits programme, 20 students from the design and media department at West College Scotland in Clydebank will be working alongside BAM and hub West Scotland throughout the 18 month build.

They will get real life experience on various assignments, the first of which will see HNC Creative Industries students working on an advertising campaign to promote women in the construction industry.

Media lecturer Kate Cotter said: “This is just a great opportunity for our students to really get creative and explore different mediums. Not only that, but the opportunity to work with live industry briefs on such an intriguing project is just superb.

“We are all looking forward to seeing the students develop their advertising campaign — good luck to all those who are taking part.” Debbie Mcnamara, chief executive at hub West Scotland, said: “Our partnership approach to delivering community benefits focuses on the added value that our projects can deliver for the wider community.

“The Clydebank Leisure Centre development will provide this group of students with invaluable real life experience as well as provide an opportunity to address a key challenge for our industry, namely promoting women in construction.” Councillor Patrick McGlinchey, convener for infrastructure, regeneration and economic development, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the students based at the Clydebank Campus of West College Scotland. As part of all of our large capital projects it is important to have community involvement throughout and provide benefits which go beyond the bricks and mortar of the new facilities.” Doug Keillor, regional director at BAM Construction Scotland, said: “BAM is looking forward to facilitating this project with the students of West College Scotland, giving the students first-hand experience of the challenges, production and the creativeness that is required to run a construction site and in this case to construct the new Clydebank Leisure centre project.” Designed by architects Kennedy FitzGerald Associates, the new leisure centre will feature a 25-metre swimming pool, teaching pool, leisure pool with waves and flume, changing facilities, a café, multi-purpose sports hall with retractable seating, fitness suite and a dance studio.

Once completed in early 2017, the new facility will replace the Play Drome on Abbotsford Road.