A CLYDEBANK SNP councillor has told how he was given “repeated personal promises” from his Labour counterpart over the potential closure of Faifley’s Skypoint centre.

The Kilpatrick ward’s Gordon Scanlan explained his “disappointment” at the shock news the much-used community building will be shutting its doors on March 29 due to budget cuts - despite being told otherwise by colleague Councillor Lawrence O’Neill.

On Monday, The Clydebank Post told how the Faifley community was rocked by the announcement that the centre – the only council-run community facility in the ward – would be closing BEFORE the proposed new shared campus being built on the current site of St Joseph’s Primary was complete.

And Councillor Scanlan pointed to Cllr O’Neill’s own words at last year’s budget meeting as the reason the Faifley locals feel let down.

He told the Post: "Shocked and disappointed to hear that the users of Skypoint have been told that the facility will shut despite repeated promises from Cllr O'Neill that the facility would not close to users until the new school campus was built.

“This decision was taken in Labour's 2023 budget, but facility users were repeatedly told that Skypoint would remain open in the interim period.

“I worked for many years delivering community programmes at Skypoint and this is a huge loss to our community in Faifley who will be without meaningful community space for some time."

In March 2023, West Dunbartonshire Council met to discuss cuts to services to try and plug a £21 million financial black hole.

Read more: 'Promises have been broken' community reacts with fury over Skypoint closure

Part of the plans was to look at the area’s community centres, with Skypoint on the list as to facilities that would come under review.

At the time, Cllr O’Neil told the chamber: “Skypoint and Faifley Library will not be closing.

“Skypoint and the facilities within it and within Faifley Library will transfer into the new Faifley Campus, and I give you that assurance.”

Today, Cllr O’Neill refused to comment on his March words but told the Post he is still working on " prolonging the shelf life” of the community facility.

He said: “I am trying to take additional steps. I very much know the difficulties that we have with the building at Skypoint, which have been exacerbated by the storm damage over the last couple of weeks.

“There are lots of user groups in there and they should know what is happening before anyone else.

“I am a service user, I have my surgeries in there, but I would say, it is too early to comment on what is happening.”

Before adding: “If it means, beyond March 29, the groups or some service users or businesses continue to operate at Skypoint, I will do whatever I can within my power to ensure that happens.”