WORK on the site of a former oil terminal in Bowling is making 'strong progress' as plans to turn it into a major industrial and commercial development continue to gather pace.

DEME Environmental, a remediation specialist working on behalf of former site owners Esso, says it expects to have completed around half of the excavation work at Bowling Harbour by the end of the year.

The site forms a key part of West Dunbartonshire Council’s (WDC) vision for regeneration in the area under the Glasgow City Region City Deal, with plans to create a mixed-use development including storage, distribution, industrial, business and office space.

Since remediation work began in January, around 180,000 tonnes of soil has already been excavated for treatment and 90 per cent of the soil being remediated on site is expected to be re-used – underlining one of the key sustainability features of the Bowling remediation project, which is believed to be the largest of its kind currently underway in Scotland.  

James Hadwen, Esso’s manager for the remediation project at Bowling, confirmed work has been going well and WDC will begin working on the site soon. 

He said: “We are very pleased with the progress that is being made on the programme of works.

"It is a credit to all the team involved for helping to reach this stage of the project and our focus remains on continuing to move the work forward in the most timely and effective way possible.  

“We also look forward to West Dunbartonshire Council’s work on-site getting underway later this month as part of its regeneration plans.

"The voluntary remediation of the Bowling site will enable the area to subsequently be re-developed for future beneficial use and we will continue to engage with the local community to keep them informed of the programme of works.” 

In January 2021, West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) was granted planning permission to regenerate the Bowling Harbour.

Of the 150 acres, 45 acres will be developable land and it is proposed that a further two acres are used for the creation of a new road.

The council’s works also include road and rail bridges connecting to the site as well as a green open space including a waterfront pedestrian and cycle path.

In addition, a heritage area has been identified around Dunglass Castle and a protection zone was included in the planning application to ensure the listed structure and its setting are not compromised as the site develops and evolves.

When complete, it is expected the regeneration project will provide up to 980 full time jobs as well as an additional 670 jobs during the construction stage.

For more than 70 years since 1918, the Esso Bowling site was used for the handling, processing and distribution of a broad range of petroleum products.