Semi-abandoned estate dubbed Scotland's Chernobyl likely to be demolished next year

A semi-abandoned Scottish estate once likened to Chernobyl is just a year away from being demolished, it is hoped.

Clune Park lies mostly derelict and abandoned and has fewer than 25 residents. Picture: SWNS

The Clune Park estate in Port Glasgow was once home to hundreds of shipyard workers and their families, but now has fewer than 25 people living in a handful of its 430 flats.

Property at the partially-abandoned estate has struggled to sell for more than four figures, making Clune Park one of the cheapest areas to become a home owner in the United Kingdom.

Monthly rents for one-bedroom properties at Clune Park have been revealed to be just £250, while flats have been snapped up for as little as £4000.

A multitude of homes on the estate lie empty, attracting arsonists and vandals, while buildings suffer from lack of maintenance and plant growth thrives on neglected facades.

Demolishing and rebuilding the estate has been mooted as the way forward after council bosses estimated a decade ago that it would cost £36 million to bring existing properties up to standard.

Now, and following years of wrangling with tenants and landlords, Mr McCabe says demolition of the estate could begin as early as next year.

Mr McCabe commented: "We are progressing our strategy of acquiring all the properties to demolish them and we are progressing closing orders.

"It has been a long haul to get here. We are continuing to engage with people who have properties in the area and we are trying to reach agreements with them in terms of acquiring the properties.

"Officers are hopeful that some time next year, we may well have sufficient properties that we can start to demolish in terms of at least one of the blocks."

He added: "We will continue to work and engage with the Scottish Government and call for them to support us with our strategy in terms of acquiring properties and potentially provide some funding for new a new build development on the site.

"I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"If we get to say spring or summer next year and we have actively started the demolition, that's a clear sign that the end game is in sight, albeit it will still take a protracted period of time until we acquire them all."