Watch as first block of flats at 'Scotland's Chernobyl' estate demolished

The first block of flats at a rundown estate dubbed ‘Scotland’s Chernobyl’ have been razed to the ground during demolition work.

Contractors have moved in on the rundown Clune Park estate in Port Glasgow after Inverclyde Council deemed buildings to be dangerous.

A former school and church buildings were removed during the first phase of demolition last month.

An initial 138 properties across 15 tenement blocks are to be demolished by contractors.

A tenement block on the corner of Wallace Street and Robert Street was the first to be razed to the ground on Tuesday.

During demolition, 430 residential properties across 45 tenement blocks will be torn down.

Inverclyde Council say the work is being carried out in the interests of safety after dangerous buildings notices were served following extensive investigations by council officers and external surveyors.

Members of the public have been urged to stay away from the largely abandoned area which has been targeted by deliberate fires and anti-social behaviour in recent times.

A new Clune Park masterplan was approved by the council in November 2023 with the ultimate aim of demolishing the estate and building up to 165 new, affordable homes for social rent.

Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “Work is progressing well with the removal of the former church and school buildings.

“While that in itself was significant, seeing the flats starting to come down is a huge moment for everyone connected to Clune Park.

“There will no doubt be a sense of sadness among families who once lived here but there is also cause for celebration in seeing these properties coming down as we look ahead to a brighter future for Clune Park.

“We have exciting plans for new houses on the site, which is in a great location close to the town centre, local businesses, the river, and with excellent transport links.

“This area has such huge potential and can once again be a desirable place to live.”

Work is being carried out by local contractor Caskie Limited based in Greenock.

Euan Caskie, from Caskie Ltd, said: “Winning this contract has provided a great opportunity for our team to contribute to the work being done by the council in the local area and enables us to continue developing our workforce within the Inverclyde community.”