THREE of the largest social landlords in West Dunbartonshire have this week confirmed they are considering building social housing at Queens Quay, the Clydebank Post can reveal.

Clydebank Housing Association, the Wheatley Group and West Dunbartonshire Council’s housing department have all confirmed they are looking at potential housing opportunities at the waterfront location.

And all three organisations are hopeful of securing the necessary funding needed to deliver on the site, which developers say could hold around 1,040 homes. Of this around 180 have been earmarked for affordable rent.

The news comes one week after West Dunbartonshire Council dished out £15million to the owners of Queens Quay, Clydeside Regeneration, to install essential infrastructure at the site. Aimed at making the site more attractive to builders, the investment will see new access roads built at three key locations, whilst gas mains, water supplies and electrical links to the national grid will also be installed.

The landmark deal signed last week has now seen all major housing providers in the area express interest in the site.

Sharon Keenan, chief executive of Clydebank Housing Association (CHA), said the location of Queens Quay and the fact that CHA already has housing schemes surrounding the site made it a good proposition.

Warning the availability of funding would be key to the association’s involvement in Queens Quay, Mrs Keenan said: “CHA is delighted to be involved in discussions at this early stage. We look forward to hopefully being part of the development and regeneration of the Queens Quay site to ultimately provide additional - and much needed - good quality affordable housing for rent in the town.” Meanwhile the Wheatley Group, which earlier this year announced plans to invest millions in social housing in West Dunbartonshire, also confirmed its interest in taking a portion of the land assigned for community housing.

The group, parent company to Cube Housing Association, said Queen’s Quay would be considered in its plan to build 300 new homes in the local authority area in the next three years.

Alex McGuire, Wheatley Group director of property, said: “We’re delighted to be working with West Dunbartonshire Council on these plans and we’re looking forward to providing affordable housing on this key strategic site.” West Dunbartonshire Council itself also confirmed it had a budget of £5.5million in 2017/18 to deliver more social housing across the whole county and would work with the Scottish Government in a bid to release more cash for social housing at Queens Quay in the coming years.

Each year the local authority receives its share of the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP), which in 2017/18 could also be used to fund social housing at Queens Quay - if agreed by local and national government.

Martin Rooney, leader of West Dunbartonshire Council, said: “We still need to keep the momentum going and my focus will be on working with the Scottish Government to secure partnership funding to support the social housing element of the development plans.

“The idea is to get companies into the site as soon as possible. The private owners have said that in their view 18 months from now, they believe, the private sector will be in building houses. That’s what their target is.” The masterplan for Queens Quay sees five large plots of land along the waterfront for private houses, whilst the social housing plots have been identified behind Dumbarton Road.