PLANS to build nearly 200 homes for social rent on Queens Quay, Clydebank, should be in a “strong development stage” by September next year.

And the proposals are expected to come before West Dunbartonshire Council by the spring of 2018.

Details of the project were announced by Peter Barry, West Dunbartonshire Council’s strategic lead for housing and employability, at a meeting last week in Clydebank.

Mr Barry told WDC’s housing and communities committee: “It’s a complex site and we need to be in a strong development phase by September 2018.

“At the moment we are in the early stages of design, but we will see significant progress in terms of design and layout by early next year. It will need to come to a planning committee by spring 2018.”

The development is part of a 10-year plan to transform the former John Brown’s shipyard into a landmark housing, health, leisure and retail development.

The first major phase of development on the western part of Queens Quay will see the creation of a new care home and health centre, to be followed by housing and retail.

The council’s Aurora House and £23.5 million Clydebank Leisure Centre already occupy the eastern part of the site alongside West College Scotland’s Clydebank campus.

The masterplan for the development of Queens Quay was approved by councillors in March 2016, and it’s expected to take more than a decade to fully develop the 23 hectare site.

Novel elements could include a ‘green power’ scheme which would use energy from the river basin to power buildings across the whole site.

The council, which is committing almost £16m to the plan, says it will consult the local community as detailed proposals and designs for each part of the project are developed.

The Wheatley Group and Cube Housing Association want to build 139 houses at the site, while Clydebank Housing Association is looking to build 50.