THE biggest projects aimed at regenerating Clydebank are more than £15 million short of where they should be.

In a report to West Dunbartonshire councillors last week, bosses admitted their capital projects, including Queens Quay and Holm Park, showed a 24.4 per cent “slippage”.

Most of the slippage – the difference between what was meant to be spent and what money actually left accounts – was down to factors out of the council’s hands, they insisted.

Officers said the industrial history of the area meant many project sites had contamination they didn’t know about or required detailed checks to make sure they were safe.

Richard Cairns, strategic director of regeneration, environment and growth, told councillors: “The drivers of capital slippage are almost completely random.

“We do ambitious things and the industrial history of West Dunbartonshire means us coming up against things we don’t anticipate.

“Ground conditions are frequently worse than expected. Legals take longer than expected. And so on, and so on.

“We will be looking to give ourselves more time to do more ambitious things.”

He added: “There will always be a degree of slippage.”

A report to the infrastructure, regeneration and economic development (IRED) committee last week showed projects worth £125m are on target, but those worth another £81m are not.

In the current year, the council should be spending nearly £49m on those projects but are forecast to spend £33m – a variance and “slippage” of £15.3m.

Queens Quay is behind by £1.4m on the regeneration side and £1.1m on the district heating network. Both are now delayed by months.

Jim McAloon, head of regeneration and economic development, said Vital Energy had been named as preferred developer on the heating network but they had lost two months of work. “It’s still tight,” he said. “It was always going to be complex.”

Holm Park, being redeveloped for Clydebank FC and Yoker Athletic, was to cost £750,000 but has spent just £150,000 with work held up over ownership of a wall.

Work is now due to start by January once the legal dispute is resolved in the “next couple of weeks”.

New sports changing facilities at Lusset Glen in Old Kilpatrick have £150,000 earmarked but nothing has been spent yet.

Originally, the work was to be done by March 2019, which has now been put back to July 2020.

And creating 20mph zones in residential areas were to cost £395,000 but only £20,000 has been spent, with a Scottish Government review of legislation to blame.

Another £95,000 was to be spent on upgrading lighting at Alexandria CEC, Carleith Primary, Dumbarton Library, and Whitecrook Primary but nothing is to be spent this year.

Mr Cairns added that most of the slippage is before they ever get on site.

He said: “What we are trying to do is understand the whole life cycle, from an idea and expressed community need, to when someone steps on site. There’s no pattern.

“Almost every project encounters at least one slippage factor, and frequently more than one.”