By Bryan Kay

WHITFIELD IN Dundee bade farewell to its last multi-storey housing block yesterday as 70 kilos of explosives brought Greenfield and Kellyfield Courts crashing to the ground.

Hundreds of people watched as the 18,000-tonne structure was wiped from the skyline and reduced to rubble in just five seconds.

The 16-storey block, built in 1969, was earmarked for demolition by Dundee City Council after it became clear there was a lack of demand for its 180 flats.

At 11.30 am, the detonators were triggered and the delayed blasts reverberated around the vicinity.

The building surrendered to the explosives and landed as planned on its own foundations—with houses just yards away.

A huge cloud of smoke poured out of the rubble and into the new housing scheme in nearby Salton Crescent.

About 150 police officers, council officials and Safedem, the demolition contractors, were on duty during the operation.

A quarter-mile exclusion zone was set up around the site and people had been warned to steer clear of the area for their own safety. Seventy households within the zone were evacuated.

William Sinclair, managing director of Safedem, said the demolition was a textbook-controlled explosion.

“Everything went perfectly and was better than any we have done in Dundee,” he said.

“We used delay mechanisms to a greater extent which helped with the folding in of the gables.

“We heard from the weather report that there was to be a southerly wind, so we knew the wind would blow the dust to the north.

“In the end there was not a brick out of place so we are very pleased.”

Safedem estimated it will take six months to clear the site of debris. It is planned that the rubble will be recycled and used in road building.

City council housing convener Chris Hinds, who watched as the flats came down, said, “If you look at how close we are to the new housing development it is just amazing how well planned it has been.

“I’d like to congratulate all the parties involved.”

Councillor for Whitfield, Willie Sawers, said people in Whitfield were relieved the flats were being demolished.

Housing director Elaine Zwirlen said that although there are no immediate proposals in the pipeline for the land, it would be part of an overall Whitfield “master plan.”

Inspector Kevin Lynch, who was in charge of the Tayside Police security operation, said the demolition went ahead without incident.

“Everybody behaved perfectly well and I would like to thank them.”

Yesterday’s demolition leaves 26 multi-storey blocks in Dundee.

Last May, neighbouring courts Whitfield and Quarryfield were demolished. Plans are also under way to level two more in Ardler.