Work has started on tearing down one of Fife’s most notorious eyesores – Glenwood flats in Glenrothes.
With demolition of the surrounding shopping precinct all but complete after starting in April, work to bring down the block of 32 flats has now begun in earnest.
Two large vehicles equipped with hydraulic drill bits have already made quick work of reducing the western end of the building to rubble.
Demolition of the flats closest to the row of retail units has begun first in order to minimise disruption to local businesses.
Demolition work Glenwood flats has now begun
It’s expected that the landmark will be completely removed from the town’s landscape later this week.
For much of the last decade Glenwood precinct has lain in a dilapidated state having become a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour.
Fife Council agreed a £1.5m compulsory purchase (CPO) of the site in 2019.
It followed a charrette to gain local residents’ views of the redevelopment of what had become one of Fife’s most deprived areas.
However, with the flats being a mixture of council and private-let, the last remaining tenants and business owners did not finally leave until summer 2022.
A £23 million regeneration programme for the area has been proposed by the local authority to breath new life into the west of the town.
Plans include replacing the demolished centre with mixture of modern properties, commercial units and a community hub.
£23m redevelopment plan
However, demolition of the dilapidated centre has not come without difficulty.
Clearing the site was halted in April, just days after it had begun, after the discovery of asbestos.
Furthermore, Glenwood Centre also hit the headlines in February when The Courier revealed that two prized public artworks, created and installed in the centre by renowned artist, David Harding, went missing and are thought to have been stolen.
They were later recovered and are to be reinstalled at the site once redevelopment plans have been finalised.
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