DEMOLITION of the first block of flats within the rundown Clune Park estate has begun.

Contractors have today, Tuesday 3 June 2025, started pulling down a tenement block on the corner of Wallace Street and Robert Street marking another significant milestone in the regeneration of the area.

It is one of 15 blocks of flats comprising some 138 properties will be razed to the ground during the first phase of demolition, which also included the removal of the fire-damaged former church and school buildings within the estate last month.

There are around 430 residential properties across 45 tenement blocks in total at Clune Park.

The demolition works are being carried out in the interests of safety after dangerous buildings notices were served following extensive investigations by council building standards officers and external surveyors.

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.”

The first tranche of flats to be demolished are at the eastern side of the estate at the junction of Wallace Street and Robert Street.

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.”

The council has been proactively acquiring properties in Clune Park for a number of years and now owns a significant proportion of the estate.

The vast majority of Clune Park is derelict and the residential blocks, former school and the old church buildings have all been badly affected by deliberate fires and anti-social behaviour in recent times and that has contributed to the deterioration of the condition of the properties.

People are encouraged to stay away from the area and take heed of the safety warnings during demolition phases.

A new Clune Park masterplan was approved by the council in November 2023 with the ultimate aim of regenerating the area with new, quality homes that meet the needs of Port Glasgow and wider Inverclyde. 

The masterplan is subject to a variety of factors, including securing ownership of the remainder of the estate, obtaining planning permission, and attracting the necessary external funding to build new homes.

For more information about Clune Park visit www.inverclyde.gov.uk/clunepark