Glasgow tower blocks occupation planned as campaigners fight demolition

Four tower blocks in the historic Wyndford estate have been earmarked for demolition by Wheatley Homes Glasgow and tenants have been campaigning to save them.

Four blocks – Nos 120, 151, 171 and 191 Wyndford Road – could be demolished.

On Saturday November 5 William Doolan, who has lived in one of the Maryhill tower blocks for 22 years, will speak out at the Scottish Tenants Organisation refoundation conference in Glasgow.

Four tower blocks in Wyndford are earmarked for demolition. Photograph by Colin Mearns.

The Herald can exclusively reveal that Mr Doolan will lead a call for volunteers to squat and occupy the four blocks while also refusing a new tenancy.

Mr Doolan has been clear that he does not want to move and has resisted offers of alternative homes.

Boarded up, empty flats on the 21st floor of the tower block at 151 Wyndford Road, Maryhill. Photo by Colin Mearns.

He told our sister title The Herald: "Why should I move this is my home."

Wynford Residents Union have seen their campaign gather momentum and leading architects have questioned the reasons behind the demolition when other similar sites in Glasgow have been successfully retrofitted.

Nick Durie, of the residents union, said: "On the back of our pledge campaign we now have pledges from tenants in every block to remain in their flats and refuse to accept tenancies elsewhere, so we want to bolster that by occupying the empty flats and taking direct action.

"This will be a substantial operation and will involve those taking part partnered with those with tenancies. We will give them constant support and this is also a way to ensure that those still living in the blocks do not feel isolated. The residents have every right to be there. We want to ensure it is entirely political in nature and ordered."

It is almost 12 months since Wyndford Residents' Union were among tenants informed that four tower blocks, which had switched from landlords Cube Housing Association to Glasgow Housing Association, were earmarked for demolition. The 600 flats would be demolished to make way for 300 new energy-efficient affordable homes under the £54million project.

Wynford tower blocks were built on the site of the former Maryhill Barracks

The announcement comes as Wynford Residents' Union also commissioned a carbon analysis impact of pulling down the tower blocks and are awaiting findings which they hope will strengthen their argument that retrofitting would be the more environmentally friendly solution.

Last month residents staged a rally on Maryhill Road and issued a pledge. The Wyndford High Flats pledge which said 'I pledge to remain in my home until is refurbished and made fit for generations to come, I refuse to leave my home.'

The rally was the latest in a series of events led by the residents union and followed a public meeting in September.

Long before the tower blocks, it was the site of Maryhill Barracks where Rudolph Hess, Adolf Hitler’s second-in-command, was taken after crash landing in a field near Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, for peace talks in 1941. It was being used as a prisoner-of-war camp at the time and in 1942, the Free French leader, General Charles de Gaulle, visited French troops there.

The barracks were decommissioned in 1959 after the amalgamation of the Highland Light Infantry into the Royal Highland Fusiliers and were largely demolished in 1961.

At one time there were more than 200 high-rise tower blocks across the city, all built between 1955 and 1975.

It is feared that the Wyndford flats are being used as a pilot scheme which could have an impact on social housing across Scotland.

Mr Durie added: "We feel we are being used as a pilot as we are sitting on prime real estate land. You can see how developers would be interested in this project and if it was to go ahead what would that mean for social housing in other desirable areas."