A DETAILED timetable for the future of the contaminated form Exxon site near Bowling is to be presented to councillors next week.

The proposals, stretching into 2024, will ultimately lead to new industrial and commercial land and a road as an alternative route in and out of West Dunbartonshire.

A number of key factors are to be in place by the end of this month, including access to the former oil terminal site for the council and an agreement between Exxon and the authority.

Exxon will assess the risk from pollution on the site in the coming months and then come up with remediation options in August and September.

By October, negotiations are expected to begin on selling the land to the council for future development while Exxon continues its clean-up. The council would have six months to negotiate an agreement.

Council bosses hope to eventually support 690 full-time jobs and an extra £19.1 million for the economy once fully realised.

The project is part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal which would see the council contribute £3.8m to the overall £28m regeneration project.

If the site is successfully sold to the council, a masterplan could go for approval by October 2017, with work schedule to start in early 2020.

Jim McAloon, the council’s strategic lead for regeneration, said: “The City Deal project is one of the key regeneration priorities for the council as we aim to improve economic growth and employability throughout West Dunbartonshire.

"The council report lists the progress being made to acquire the Exxon site and how we propose to move forward together. It is up to councillors to consider and approve our plans and the new timeline for the project.”

A full meeting of the council on April 27 will consider the update on the former Exxon site.

Exxon has confirmed a commitment to cleaning up the area and their remediation team met with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) last month.

West Dunbartonshire’s Strategic Business Case for the Exxon project, which was approved in June last year, shows that the council would contribute £3.8m to the overall project cost, with the remainder being funded by grants from the UK and Scottish Governments.

Concerns were raised in February about delays in moving everything forward on the site. The full clean-up is expected to take at least two and a half years.