NO toxins have been found at the site of the planned new £19.34million health and care centre in Clydebank, despite confusion at a key meeting last week.

A report tabled last week to West Dunbartonshire Council’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) audit committee flagged up contamination and the issue was highlighted by vice chairman Allan Macleod.

He said: “The paper makes mention of ground conditions being adversely effected by outside factors. Do we have a real problem? What is underground?”

Council official Jo Gibson told the committee: “Contamination has been found in an area which has been ring-fenced and is minimal. Plans are ahead to remove it.

“The timescale for the health and care centre remains at July 2020, which we continue to work towards. It is not expected to cause any expense.”

The council declined to reveal what the contamination found was or what area of the planned site it covered and then the NHS confirmed it was not directly on land for the centre.

A council spokeswoman said: “It is wrong to state the new health and care centre will be built on contaminated land. The site is classed as “brownfield” meaning the land has been previously used as an industrial site.

“As with all industrial sites of this type it is not unusual to find contaminants underground which are reminiscent of the history of this former shipbuilding site. Remediation works were planned as part of the Queens Quay project and works are ongoing.”

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde later confirmed heavy metals, hydro-carbons, leachate and trace asbestos were in Queens Quay, but not on the land directly for the health centre.

Members of audit committee unanimously agreed to submit the full business case (FBC) to the next meeting of the finance and planning committee of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and also to the Scottish Government’s capital investment group for funding.

The facility, which will be built on the health quarter of Queens Quay, will support the provision of high quality services and will significantly improve the health and lives of residents.

The three-storey building will replace five current GP Practices in Clydebank which serve 50,000 residents.

Along with GP practices, residents will also access podiatry and physiotherapy along with consulting and treatment rooms.