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Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- General
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow Caledonia Road high rise flats in Gorbals demolished
Hundreds of onlookers gathered at several vantage points in the Gorbals to watch the buildings be pulled down. The high-rises at 305 and 341 Caledonia Road were brought down using explosives by Dem-Master Demolition. The blocks of flats are owned by New Gorbals Housing Association (NGHA), who decided to remove them to make way for social rent homes. The towers were built in 1971 and are nestled between St Francis' Primary School and the Southern Necropolis cemetery. Hundreds gathered to watch the flats fall (Image: Julie Howden) The exclusion zone for the demolition covered the graveyard and the nearby Gorbals rose gardens. They were two of the last standing Gorbals tower blocks, built in 1965. Each of the Caledonia Road tower blocks rose to 23 storeys. At its peak, the Gorbals was home to 16 of the towering blocks. The demolition comes after the buildings were declared 'unsustainable and unaffordable' to save as they were deemed 'not up to the modern safety standards'. The Glasgow Times previously reported that residents of the high-rise block were first informed of the possible tear-down back in 2020. Today, June 29, the flats have been levelled in a controlled explosion. Locals gathered in their droves, with many feeling "very emotional" at the sight of the blocks coming down. A loud cheer did go up from the crowd as the dust billowed into the air. READ MORE: Major road outside Scottish city closed as emergency services race to scene Fraser Stewart, chief executive of the community-owned New Gorbals Housing Association, previously told the Glasgow Times that saving the blocks was 'unsustainable and unaffordable'. This is due to the inability to bring cladding up to acceptable safety standards without spending a large amount of money on structures that had a limited life span. A total of 152 homes for social rent will be erected in its place, which NGHA hope to have ready within the next few years. The strategy for new homes was agreed between NGHA, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government. Fraser Stewart said the demolition is particularly sad as the blocks provided high quality and well maintained and managed homes right up to when tenants were rehoused back in 2021. He went on to add that it will be a sad and upsetting event for many of the folk who lived good lives in these towers, some for many decades. Though Fraser said 'not one complaint' has been launched since plans for the demolition were confirmed, some locals in the area were torn. The dust billowed into the air after the flats were razed (Image: Julie Howden) READ MORE: Glasgow's Caledonia Road flats to be demolished THIS week - everything we know READ MORE: More: 9 high rise demolitions that reshaped Glasgow's skyline as Caledonia Road next Earlier this year, the Glasgow Times spoke to a number of residents who either live in the area or previously lived in the blocks. One man said the demolition was a great way to make the Gorbals more modern, while a local woman said the blow-down should improve the area. Another man agreed, saying that the demolition is a great idea to build new homes in the area. The block on the west side was brought down first (Image: Julie Howden) However, there were some people who felt saddened by the plans. One man, who has lived in the area "all his days", said it was a great shame to see the blocks coming down. Waddell Court is now the only remaining tower block in the Gorbals. The Sandiefield Road towers were demolished in 2013, with the Norfolk Court towers blowing down in 2016. The Stirlingfauld Place towers were knocked down in 2008. The Queen Elizabeth Square towers were blown up in a controlled explosion in September 1993. Helen Tinney, 61, was part of a large crowd watching the 22-storey flats' demolition when she was struck by a piece of flying debris. Mrs Tinney died in the Victoria Infirmary after collapsing at the scene of the blast.
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- General
- Glasgow Times
I saw the demolition of the Caledonia Road flats in Glasgow
The towers at 305 and 341 Caledonia Road were built in 1971 and will be replaced by the owners, New Gorbals Housing Association (NGHA), with more than 100 new social rent homes. I went along to watch the explosions just outside the large safety exclusion zone. This was my first time seeing a controlled explosion in person, and the whole area was filled with a nervous anticipation. I cycled through the city centre before making my way through Glasgow Green, almost crashing as I started noticing the two 23-storey flat blocks at certain viewpoints. People were already lining the bridges, and some had brought picnic blankets to sit in the park and watch the flats being razed to the ground. The blocks were razed to the ground today, June 29 (Image: Julie Howden) READ MORE: Glasgow Caledonia Road high rise flats in Gorbals demolished READ MORE: Glasgow reacts to Caledonia Road flats demolition in Gorbals I arrived at the roundabout at the end of Caledonia Road before 11am, and a small hive of people had already gathered. Some had been there since they were told to evacuate their homes at 7:30am that morning, and they rushed to leave, making sure to shut their windows to avoid dust. There was a tension in the air as anticipation rose for the controlled explosion, and an emotional atmosphere as many locals shared stories about the high-rise flats. Tales were being exchanged, including stories of people growing fruit on their verandas. One local claimed that he used to leave for work and come home to find that his tomato plant had almost doubled in size due to the heat on the 23rd floor. There were laughs as others shared some stories full of mischief that weren't fit for newspaper publishing. But, many couldn't speak as they were overcome with emotion, and the phrase "end of an era" was repeated by everyone. They also spoke of the "landmark" that the towers were, noting that the many views they had of them would always "remind them they were coming home" - especially when seen from the M74 motorway. I saw the demolition of the Caledonia Road flats in Glasgow (Image: Newsquest) READ NEXT: Major road outside Scottish city closed as emergency services race to scene Just after 1 pm, a warning drone sounded from inside the sealed-off site. Gasps were heard around the street as the hundreds of people who had gathered collectively held their breaths. Then a loud pop started the demolition. First, the left, westerly, high-rise collapsed, shortly followed by the right one. The ground was shaking, and everybody was watching in silence as a cloud of dust billowed into the air. In the silence that lasted for a few seconds, but felt like minutes, the clear blue sky began to emerge from where the 226ft buildings used to be. The crowd broke out in a cheer, which seemed out of place considering the emotional conversations that had been taking place just minutes earlier. The crowds dispersed almost as quickly as the few short seconds it had taken for the high-rises to come down. I stood and looked at the rubble that lay where those stories were now buried before starting my cycle back to the city centre. The dust had blown up the Clyde, and I was coated in a layer of it as I made my way through Glasgow Green again. I couldn't help but stop to look at the space where the blocks had once been, while thinking of veranda-grown tomatoes and the sense of loss felt by the Gorbals community.
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- General
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow reacts to Caledonia Road flats demolition in Gorbals
Some of them arrived hours earlier to secure a good view of the explosion, and crowds filled the closed streets around the exclusion zone. There was a tension in the air as anticipation rose for the controlled explosion, and an emotional atmosphere as many locals shared stories about the high-rise flats. Tales are being exchanged, including stories of people growing fruit on their verandas. The Glasgow Times was among the crowds, and we spoke with a few locals, some of whom still lived nearby or had moved away. The flats were levelled today, June 29 (Image: Julie Howden) READ MORE: Caledonia Road high rise flats in Glasgow's Gorbals have been demolished William Semple, 32, had lived in the flats with his mum. He said: "It's emotional. Very emotional. "I spent the best part of like two to three years in my life in the flats with my mum, and then I got my own house. "But coming back here and seeing them come down, yeah, it's a really emotional experience. "You could see them towering over everything, and it's going to be weird not seeing it anymore, honestly. "Bring on the new, I say, though, and it's all going to be social housing, I think, so it's all going to be for a good cause as well." Glasgow reacts to Caledonia Road flats demolition in Gorbals (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE: Major road outside Scottish city closed as emergency services race to scene Terry Porter grew up in the maisonettes on Caledonia Road next to the blocks but has since moved to Linwood. Terry, 56, was there with his wife Annemarie, 55. He said: "I watched the other two blocks come down with my kids 10/12 years ago. "The skyline of the Gorbals is now utterly changed with these coming down. "But they were put up for a reason, and a lot of people say it's a lot nicer coming down, and people get a chance at decent houses with gardens, etc. "It's hard to see the last fingerprint of the Gorbals highrises coming down. "It was important to come here, I felt like I had to underline things just to see them coming down." Terry spoke about the Queen Elizabeth Square towers being blown up in a controlled explosion in September 1993. A family friend, Helen Tinney, was part of a large crowd watching the demolition of the 22-storey flats when a piece of flying debris struck her. Mrs Tinney, 61, died in the Victoria Infirmary after collapsing at the scene of the blast. Demolition of High Rise Flats in Queen Elizabeth Square, 1993 (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE: 9 high rise demolitions that reshaped Glasgow's skyline as Caledonia Road next Scott Maclean, 30, stays at the edge of Richmond Park and could see the flats from his window. Scott said: "I think it'll be quite historic. It's in our skyline, from the windows, that we can see it from the house. "It's very interesting to see it change. They were very prominent. "They've been empty for a couple of years. "So, it'll be nice to see the area used for something. Don't know what that is, but I'm sure it'll be better than two empty highrises." Gary Mason, 53, also lives nearby and agreed that the demolition was the right thing to do. He said: "I think it's actually probably good to go. Some people that probably have lived here for a long time, it's a landmark, isn't it? "But then I think to see them go there, it's like clearing away trees and all that. It's new growth. "It allows new people to come in and get the benefit from the new places. "It is the end of an era, but I think it's better, it's nice to maybe see that they could have something a little bit different than that."
Otago Daily Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Councils press on with water plan
The Kaikōura District Council held its deliberations on Wednesday, after receiving just 14 submissions, with nine backing the joint CCO proposal and four preferring to go it alone. The Hurunui District Council will meet on Tuesday, May 13, to deliberate after receiving 53 submissions, with 25 in support of forming a joint CCO with Kaikōura and 23 favouring an in-house water services business unit. Councils need to submit water services delivery plans for review by September 3 under the Government's Local Water Done Well reform programme. The legislation aims to address the country's water infrastructure challenges and replaced the previous Government's Three Waters Reform. Kaikōura Deputy Mayor Julie Howden said the response was ''pretty disappointing'', but she was impressed with the quality of the submissions. The council's chief executive, Will Doughty, said the shares will be allocated based on the net assets of each council, but it still needs to be worked through. ''We need to ensure there is a fair and equitable allocation.'' While a final decision will be made at the May 28 council meeting, Mr Doughty said the council is still progressing towards a joint CCO with Hurunui. Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said despite the low turnout, the submissions have given the councillors plenty to think about. ''A lot of people have said they have a high level of trust in the council and the council has invested heavily in our three waters services in recent years. ''We have worked through an incredibly complex process and we will deliver a proposal to the Department of Internal Affairs before the September 3 deadline.'' The Hurunui district has small population of around 13,000 over a large geographical area, while Kaikōura has a population of 4200. Both councils have invested heavily in their three waters infrastructure since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in November 2016. Under the new legislation, a joint CCO can borrow up to 500% of council revenue, instead of the usual borrowing limit of 280%. • LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Scoop
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Canterbury Councils Press On With Water Plan, Despite ‘Disappointing' Response
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy Reporter The Hurunui and Kaikura councils had a disappointing response on their proposal to form a joint water services council controlled organisation. A plan for two North Canterbury councils to join forces on three waters has received a ''disappointing'' response from public consultation. The Hurunui and Kaikōura district councils have completed their consultations on a proposal to form a joint water services council controlled organisation (CCO) to manage water services. The Kaikōura District Council held its deliberations on Wednesday, after receiving just 14 submissions, with nine backing the joint CCO proposal and four preferring to go it alone. The Hurunui District Council will meet on Tuesday, May 13, to deliberate after receiving 53 submissions, with 25 in support of forming a joint CCO with Kaikōura and 23 favouring an in-house water services business unit. Councils need to submit water services delivery plans for review by September 3 under the Government's Local Water Done Well reform programme. The legislation aims to address the country's water infrastructure challenges and replaced the previous Government's Three Waters Reform. Kaikōura Deputy Mayor Julie Howden said the response was ''pretty disappointing'', but she was impressed with the quality of the submissions. The council's chief executive Will Doughty said the shares will be allocated based on the net assets of each council, but it still needs to be worked through. ''We need to ensure there is a fair and equitable allocation.'' While a final decision will be made at the May 28 council meeting, Mr Doughty said the council is still progressing towards a joint CCO with Hurunui. Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said despite the low turnout, the submissions have given the councillors plenty to think about. ''A lot of people have said they have a high level of trust in the council and the council has invested heavily in our three waters services in recent years. ''We have worked through an incredibly complex process and we will deliver a proposal to the Department of Internal Affairs before the September 3 deadline.'' The Hurunui district has small population of around 13,000 over a large geographical area, while Kaikōura has a population of 4200. Both councils have invested heavily in their three waters infrastructure since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in November 2016. Under the new legislation, a joint CCO can borrow up to 500 percent of council revenue, instead of the usual borrowing limit of 280%. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
