THE prospect of a new night-time safety scheme to look after festive season clubbers and party-goers in Clydebank looks bleak, a report has revealed.

Bosses at West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) say that despite repeated attempts, no security firm has come forward with a bid to provide taxi marshals for any project.

The report recommends that money set aside to launch a replacement for the Night Zone West (NZW) scheme – which was launched in 2009, but axed in 2016, the report says, after Scottish Government community funding was cut – should instead be given to Police Scotland to support its own festive policing plan.

The report says that £12,000 was allocated to a new festive safety scheme to replace Night Zone West, with £8,000 going to the council’s licensing department to procure taxi marshals and £4,000 going to the authority’s communities team.

The report’s author, Peter Hessett, WDC’s strategic lead for regulatory and regeneration, said: “Despite involved and repeated efforts of officers there have been great difficulties in finding a contractor able and willing to provide taxi marshals.

“Other component parts of the scheme have also been difficult to source.

“In relation to the provision of taxi marshals, an invite to tender was sent out timeously to all relevant providers who are included in the one Scotland Excel Tendering register.

“To date all providers contacted have either declined to tender, or have not responded to the invite.

“Given the problems, and also due to uncertainty in relation to Covid-19 it was the unanimous view of the group that a scheme in 2021/2022 was not viable.

“It is recommended that the committee considers carefully the recommendation to formally approach Police Scotland to discuss the viability of the council contributing funding no greater than the existing NZW budget of £12,000 to Police Scotland to assist in the division’s festive policing plan.”