12/10/2015

Glasgow Housing Association Apologises Following Demolition Failure

Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) has apologised after a planned demolition at the Red Road tower blocks at the weekend did not go according to plan.

Controlled explosions were carried out on the famous tower blocks to raze them to the ground; however, a significant portion of two of the six dwellings remained largely intact following the blasts. As a result, thousands of people had to remain out of their homes for a number of hours until safety checks were carried out around the exclusion zone. They have since been allowed to return home.

In a statement, GHA said the original plan for the demolition was that 10 floors of the blocks "would remain for dismantling, post blowdown, by machine", but that it didn't "go completely to plan."

"Over the next few days the contractors, Safedem, will carry out a review to determine the best way of now completing the demolition," it added.

Glasgow Housing Association has apologised for the delays.

The Red Road tower blocks, which were once the tallest residential buildings in Europe, were built in the 1960s as social housing. They are being demolished as part of GHA's plans to regenerate the Balornock and Barmulloch areas of the city.

(JP/CD)

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