March 24 2025

Glasgow's skyline has been forever changed with the explosive demolition of three tower blocks on a Maryhill housing estate, while a fourth tower looked on in the process of manual disassembly.

Wheatley Homes and Safedem brought down the trio at 151, 171 and 191 Wyndford Road within seconds at noon on Sunday following months of preparatory works.

The cleared site will now be prepped for the future delivery of 400 homes, expected to begin by the end of 2026.

Frank McCafferty, Wheatley’s Group director of repairs and assets, said: “This is a new dawn for Wyndford, and our regeneration work will transform the area for generations to come."

A £100m regeneration package will now be progressed for the estate by ECD Architects, including 400 new homes, a community centre, cycle storage and an improved play park. Footpaths, open areas and car parking will also be improved.

The remaining block at 120 Wyndford Road remains partially standing as it is demolished using a modular self-descending machine, a technique previously employed for the Whitevale and Bluevale towers in Dennistoun.

17 Comments

#1 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 24 Mar 2025 at 11:20 AM

Horrible feeling of self aggrandisement with all the publicity surrounding the demolition.

If we had a real housing emergency and a real desire to make a difference we would have upgraded the towers and built new homes on the ghost street that pollute the north of the city.

21 months to the build starts -- not really setting the heather on fire to deliver new homes are they?

More a case of get them down quick before the absurdity of the plan reaches the news and the general public.

Not our finest hour.
Not as if the new houses are anything special.

#2 Posted by James Hepburn on 24 Mar 2025 at 15:10 PM

I pity the people who have to live in anything owned by The Wheatley Group.

#3 Posted by Nico on 24 Mar 2025 at 16:08 PM

Well overdue. The place has not been fit for purpose for a very long time. Eyesore removed and hundreds of well needed affordable rental homes in their place supported by additional community facilities.

Great news.

#4 Posted by Bill Cunningham on 24 Mar 2025 at 16:41 PM

and if you believe that you'll believe anything.

#5 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 24 Mar 2025 at 16:58 PM

In other news -- 600 people on the streets / sleeping rough / in hostel accommodation cry silent tears of what could have been.

The ghost streets of North and East Glasgow will stay silent for another 10 years / no sorry make that another 20 to match the 20 years already.

Housing emergency my erse -- just PR flannel for gum bumpers to bump their gums.

#6 Posted by Nico on 25 Mar 2025 at 09:28 AM

Following major and ongoing transformations to Dalmarnock, Sighthill and Dundashill, areas neglected for decades, great to see Maryhill now getting in on the action.

Lots of positivity in Glasgow for us Glaswegians.

#7 Posted by Bill Cunningham on 25 Mar 2025 at 09:52 AM

Again "Nico" if you believe that you'll believe anything.

#8 Posted by Nico on 25 Mar 2025 at 10:47 AM

I live here "Bill". I can see the difference. Decades of neglect now being followed by major transformation. Dig out some photos from Dalmarnock a few years back to now. Likewise with Sighthill and Dundashill. Take a tour around the city and see it for your own eyes.

#9 Posted by Neil C on 25 Mar 2025 at 11:51 AM

"Nico" has a point "Bill" Sighthill is now Northbridge where you can now buy, if you can afford it, The Argyll; The Berkeley; The Ingram and The Waterloo and increase the rent on the remaining social housing. A developer's dream.

#10 Posted by Ben on 25 Mar 2025 at 12:20 PM

Great news, the regeneration in North Maryhill is long overdue. No doubt Alan Dunlop and Malcolm Fraser will be fuming about the loss of the so called architectural masterpieces at Wyndford, whilst at the same time continuing to call for the demolition of the Glasgow School of Art.

#11 Posted by Nico on 25 Mar 2025 at 12:58 PM

Sighthill regen. Compared to the absolute downtrodden area it was I don't know why anyone would complain about this transformation.

https://www.scottishdesignawards.com/2024/architecture-regeneration/sighthill-transformational-regeneration-area/index.html

#12 Posted by Bill Cunningham on 25 Mar 2025 at 14:17 PM

It's clear you know nothing. My wife, three children, six grandchildren and me have lived in Maryhill all our lives "Nico". My wife and I from a time when Wyndford was also truly transformational and the resident social housing community thriving but then slowly over years allowed to deteriorate through lack of investment upkeep and necessary repairs and the residents decanted and replaced with people with social, drug and other problems. Then primed for development. That's the complaint.

#13 Posted by Nico on 25 Mar 2025 at 16:09 PM

What you've just described "Bill" is the steady decline of the vast majority of Glasgow's housing schemes since the late 70s / early 80s. Decades of neglect and minimal investment causing the dreadful conditions seen in so many areas.

However, as mentioned above, we are at long last starting to see real improvements in so many areas. Hopefully, in the near future the replacement homes and community facilities in the Wyndford will be a source of pride for residents living there.

#14 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 25 Mar 2025 at 17:55 PM

Why does improvement have to include demolition?
Wheatley could have gotten into the student rental market using the existing blocks.

The project would have washed its face and then they could have used the £100mill investment in other areas where all we have left is ghost streets.

Unfortunately that would have taken energy / imagination / innovation / real effort -- and that is what we don't have in social housing.

You get the impression that HA's / social housing does not want to deal with people who can think for themselves and demand performance levels that are hard work / a challenge.

#15 Posted by Bill Cunningham on 25 Mar 2025 at 18:05 PM

and yet again, if you believe that you'll believe anything.

The point is there was already was source of pride and once a thriving community in Wyndford, people knew their neighbours, spoke and interacted with each other every day, in a real social housing and community mix that they could afford.

I doubt that will be the case in the future and I very much doubt that is the case in new Sighthill despite the awards. They won't know their neighbour and care even less.

#16 Posted by Mark on 26 Mar 2025 at 23:10 PM

Heartily agree with #1. This smells of the same demolition-as-media-event that someone thought would be a good opener for the Commonwealth Games. It’s a wonder they didn’t invite a z-list celebrity along from Still Game to push the down the plunger.

#10 - Can’t speak for Messrs Dunlop and Fraser, but I don't think anyone here’s claiming that the towers are “so-called architectural masterpieces”. The issue is that there’s a housing shortage in Scotland, so it’s fair to ask why we’re demolishing housing, and whether it could have been refurbished and upgraded instead? That debate didn’t get a fair hearing, and it seems consideration of embodied carbon is just hollow talk when it comes to what actually happens on the ground in Glasgow.

#17 Posted by Useless Eater on 27 Mar 2025 at 21:38 PM

So, it starts with the usual 'local' knowledge Olympics with a heavy dose virtue signalling nonsense, where anyone who dares to question this scheme is dismissed by the 'we know best' brigade, in contrast to the clear-sighted wisdom of an elderly (actual) resident who's really seen it all before. And what's this they're so keen to shut down? It's the simple and logical objection to bulldozing 600 homes for a return of 400, torching a cool £100 million and putting (net) 200 families out of a home. All so they can unleash a carbon bonfire and a high rent, low rise, anti-urban gentrification cleansing program. This top-down arrogance comes courtesy of the Wheatley Group (who are so local, they manage 90,000+ homes). Anyone with a sentient brain can see it's a disaster, but the PR machine is whirring, and any dissent, especially from those who know the area, is met with extremely rude ivory tower disdain.

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