Wyndford tower blocks to be brought down by controlled explosion

Three high-rise tower blocks are to be blown up this weekend ahead of new homes being built on the site.

Explosives will bring down the towers at 151, 171 and 191 Wyndford Road in the Maryhill area around 11am on Sunday.

Residents from nearby properties will be evacuated while an exclusion zone is set up in the area.

An evacuation centre has been set up at Cleveden Secondary School, offering breakfast and lunch as well as activities for children.

Residents living within the exclusion zone will receive Tesco gift vouchers, worth £100, on the day.

Those living nearby have been asked to keep all pets indoors ensuring they cannot escape through cat flaps, open windows, or doors. Fishponds and rabbit hutches should also be covered.

St Gregorys Church on Kelvindale Road has been closed and the 10am service was instead held at St Charles’s at 1 Kelvinside Gardens.

Dust suppression systems (misting systems) will be positioned around the site to minimise dust but locals are asked to close all doors, windows and vents and not to hang washing out.

Anyone with a respiratory condition is recommended to avoid the area on the day.

Clean-up teams are expected to move in quickly following the demolition, with measures from street sweeping to jet washing, with priority given to footways and roads, so residents can return home as soon as possible.

All tenants left the Wheatley Homes Glasgow properties last year in preparation for the demolition.

‘TopDownWay’ technology is being used to bring down 120 Wyndford Road. The system, which was used in 2015 at the multi-storeys in Gallowgate, includes a platform being installed at the top of the building, which allows demolition experts to remove walls and floors piece by piece.

The housing association had faced opposition from a small number of residents who believed the buildings should be retained and restored.

Campaigners launched a judicial challenge against Glasgow City Council over its decision to give permission for the demolition without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

However, a Court of Session judge ruled that the assessment was not required.

Nearly 400 new homes will be built in place of the towers, 85% of which will be social housing and 15% for mid-market rent.

The new homes will include a mix of one/two/three/four-bedroom houses and flats and will create a minimum of 900 bed spaces.

A spokesperson for Wheatley Homes previously told STV News: “The tenant-led Wyndford Futures Focus Group is working with architects to shape the master plan for the community.

“The £100 million regeneration of Wyndford will see nearly 400 new, energy-efficient larger homes built – 85 per cent of which will be for social rent – which will transform the neighbourhood not only for the people who live there today, but for families and generations to come.”

Other plans include a newly built community centre owned and managed by the council, improved walkways and cycle paths, a children’s play park, 500 new bike racks and car parking spaces.

The new homes will have 900 bedrooms and new CCTV and controlled-entry systems to reduce anti-social behaviour.