Flats in Inverclyde estate dubbed 'Scotland's Chernobyl' to be demolished

Flats part of a housing estate dubbed ‘Scotland’s Chernobyl’ are set to be demolished after being deemed as a danger by the local council.

Inverclyde Council has confirmed plans to demolish the properties at Clune Park estate in Port Glasgow following “extensive investigations”.

The local authority issued dangerous building notices to 138 properties across 15 tenements in July, believing them to be beyond repair.

The notices received no objections and the council is now seeking a contractor to carry out demolition work on the flats as well a listed former school and church on the estate.

A view of disused tenement properties on the Clune Park estate on August 2, 2019 in Port Glasgow, Scotland. Getty Images

The council said the Clune Estate has the highest rate of below tolerable standard (BTS) housing and the highest void rates of any neighbourhood area in Inverclyde.

The decision to demolish forms part of the Clune Park Regeneration Plan which aims to demolish all 45 original buildings within the estate and build new housing units in their place.

The council, which owns 50% of the properties, said that there are no residents within the estate and that the 45-storey building had an occupancy rate of less than 10%.

A spokesperson for the local authority said that the door “remains open” for private owners to negotiate the sale of the remaining properties in the area.

An Inverclyde Council spokesperson said: “While progress to regenerate Clune Park has been incredibly difficult, a huge amount of work has been taking place in the background.

“We have been proactively acquiring properties for a number of years and now own over half the estate and the door remains open for private owners to negotiate the sale of the remaining properties in the area.

“A lot of work has also been taking place to examine potentially dangerous buildings which have fallen into a serious state of disrepair due to a number of factors, including deliberate fires and anti-social behaviour.

“Following extensive investigations, dangerous building notices were recently served on 138 properties across 15 tenement blocks.

“The timeframe to appeal those notices has since passed with no appeals having been received.

“A contractor is now being sought to demolish these flats, as well as the former school and church buildings.

“Further investigations are taking place to identify other potentially dangerous buildings and security has been increased, including extra fencing, CCTV and community warden patrols, to deter people from going near dangerous and potentially dangerous buildings and we would like to take this opportunity to discourage people from going near the area in the interests of safety.”