28/5/2008Infamous Gorbals Towers Are Just Days Away From Demolition
Mitchell Hill Flats in Castlemilk demolished in November 2005
FOR almost 40 years they have towered above the Gorbals ... giant monuments to the 1960s dream of communities in the sky.
But by this time next week, the Stirlingfaulds flats will be reduced to thousands of tonnes of rubble, and a new era in housing will begin.
Housing bosses don't want to reveal the exact date of demolition so large crowds won't gather but it is imminent.
For community activist Jimmy Mutter, who lives in the shadow of the towers, the demolition of the two 23-storey blocks by the Glasgow Housing Association is a pivotal moment in the history of the Gorbals.
It marks a new beginning, and the realisation of a dream for Laurieston.
Jimmy, 72, is Gorbals born and bred, was the local councillor for 23 years and is now chairman of the Laurieston Regeneration Committee. He has battled tirelessly to see the area improved.
That is what is going to happen over the next decade, as an ambitious regeneration plan costing £350million takes shape.
Nearby Norfolk Court, Stirlingfauld's neighbouring twin blocks, is also targeted for demolition.
Permission has been granted to erect 1600 quality homes, in the style of Park Circus in the West End, in their place.
Shops, offices and community facilities will sit side by side along wide European-style boulevards, while a park will give residents a place to relax.
According to Jimmy, a grandfather of eight married to Tilda for 45 years, it is time for these major changes.
"Families don't want to live like this any more," he says, looking up at the 23 storeys of concrete.
"They have better expectations and want low-level homes in a vibrant community. And who can blame them?
"Blocks like Stirling-faulds were a good idea at the time and, compared to the crumbling old tenements, they were like palaces. But in the longer term they didn't work.
"I'm confident this time we're getting it right."
Jimmy believes Laurieston, if given the chance, will thrive again.
He says: "I'm very proud of the Gorbals and its people. Planners now come from all over the world to see the regeneration in nearby New Gorbals.
"Our plan for Laurieston is fantastic, people will want to live and work here again."
Many view multi-storeys as damaging architectural and sociological mistakes.
But to the families who lived there for generations, the flats, which once housed 2000 people, were home.
Dorothy Denham lived on the 16th floor from when the flats were completed in 1973 until 1996.
The mother-of-two had previously lived in a nearby tenement, which was overcrowded and had an outside toilet.
The retired catering manager, now 72 says: "The new flats were lovely, with fitted kitchens and bathrooms, something we had never had, and a fantastic view."
Lena Borland agrees. She moved to the 15th floor, also in 1973, after years in a tenement no longer fit for habitation.
The grandmother of two says: "There was such a great community spirit in the flats. Everyone pulled together and looked out for each other.
"We ran arts and crafts classes for the children, and took them on bus runs to Ayr and Prestwick."
But by the mid-80s, the flats had become rundown, and the council did not have the cash to improve them.
Residents were forced to climb 23 flights of stairs with buggies when the lifts broke down, which they often did for weeks at a time.
And the residents changed too.
"By the 80s they were letting anyone live in the flats," says Dorothy. "Drug dealers, drug takers, and anti-social families moved from elsewhere.
"It was awful. Lots of decent families moved away, and the flats got a very bad reputation. They were finished by then, there was no way back."
Both Dorothy and Lena moved out in 1996, settling minutes away from their former homes.
"I'll be there to see the flats come down," says Lena. "I might even shed a wee tear when I think of the happy times I had living there.
"But demolishing them is the best idea GHA ever had."
Dorothy adds: "The plan for the area is smashing and the new houses look lovely. I just hope the folk that move in appreciate them. It will transform the place."
The first Glasgow tower blocks were built in Mosspark in 1955, while the last were at Berryknowes Road in Cardonald in 1976.
When the city's 31-storey Red Road flats, in Petershill, were completed in 1971 it was the tallest housing development in Europe.
The Mitchell Hill flats in Castlemilk, immortalised in the famous Jeely Piece Song, were blown
up in November 2005.
Until recent demolitions began, there were 258 blocks of eight storeys or more in the city.
Other multi-storeys targeted for demolition include Norfolk Court in the Gorbals, the Red Road flats, the Fountainwell flats in Sighthill and the Shawbridge flats in Pollokshaws.
£350m for 'world class' vision
THE £350m transformation of Laurieston will be cash well spent, says Fraser Stewart, director of New Gorbals Housing Association.
He believes it will soon be one of the most attractive areas in the city.
Mr Stewart added: "We look forward to working with the community to realise our vision, a world-class city quarter.
"Gorbals people deserve a great place to live and work and that is what this community will be."
David Fletcher, head of regeneration at Glasgow Housing Association, said: "This marks the beginning of a new era."
I watched the video of the Stirlingfaulds flats being flattended ,some of the folk that lived there when the flats were first built said that they loved living there but things got bad when the drugs and thugs came in ,one woman said she couldnt even let her kids outside to play things were that bad, I got the immpresion they were sad to see the flats crumble ,but wouldnt go back to living there,