Three Council sites across West Dunbartonshire are set to be sold off for almost £100,000, which would be twice as much as they need to keep Balloch Library open.

The sales include a building in Bonhill and one in Alexandria as well as a piece of unused land in Clydebank.

At a meeting of the Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development Committee this week, members were told of interested buyers for the sites.

The premises in George Street, Bonhill have been purchased by Sava Estates Ltd who submitted the highest offer at £27,601.

Meanwhile, the building at Bank Street, Alexandria has been purchased by Daveed Malik for £40,144.

As well as benefiting from the capital receipts by £100,000, the Council will also no longer have to incur revenue costs for managing and maintaining the property including utility costs.

These savings, plus the additional money saved from the revenue from managing and maintaining the properties which are being sold could make it even easier to save Balloch Library, which would cost £50,000 to keep open.

And that would please the 1,500 people who signed a petition and took part in demonstrations to retain the library, which the council intends to incorporate into the school on the opposite side of Carrochan Road.

The move would also restore some of the support for the Labour Council and its representatives in the Balloch area, Cllrs Martin Rooney and Hazel Sorrell.

The third site is a piece of land adjacent to 193 Dumbarton Road, Clydebank which has been purchased by David Hamilton for a price of £30,000.

Labour councillors who now have enough money to out matters right in Balloch – David McBride, Lawrence O’Neill and Martin Rooney.

Councillor David McBride, Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development said: “I want to thank the officers who have worked hard to market sites which are no longer used by the Council and, in turn, receiving a capital receipt at a time when budgets are stretched to their limit.”

Councillor Lawrence O’Neill, Vice Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development said: “I am pleased that the sale of these buildings and land will bring benefits to our communities, improving the appearance of our local areas and making use of these sites once again.”

One much appreciated benefit would be for the library to remain open for the many uses the people of Haldane, one of the most deprived communities in West Dunbartonshire, could continue to put tp use as valuable resource.

Officers will now take steps to finalise the sales which means the new money will go into the council bank account.

Parents and senior citizens protesting in the Council offices about the library closure proposal.