A community blighted by a ‘fly-tipping epidemic’ has welcomed the ‘long overdue’ demolition of more than 50 blocks of derelict houses.
Fifty-one blocks of housing in Ferguslie Park in Paisley will now be flattened after falling into a state of disrepair making them a target for fly-tipping and fire-raising.
Demolition contractor Caskie is set to bulldoze the empty council-owned properties focusing on the stand-alone block in Ferguslie Park Avenue before progressing into the main area which includes Drums Avenue, Tannahill Road, and Tannahil Terrace.
Ahead of the works residents had to be moved into alternative accommodation, which included a neighbouring new build development.
The last tenant moved out in April 2024.
Terry McTernan, chair of the Ferguslie Community Council, explained that for a long time, “there appeared to be no end in sight”.
The 44-year-old said: “There has been a fly-tipping epidemic in this area as well as three/four fires a week.
“If I had any hair it would have fallen out by now. There was one day that a bus couldn’t get through because the fly-tipping was so severe.
“It’s been a never-ending problem for the last few years and it’s given us loads of heartache as a community council.
“We certainly view the commencement of the demolition as long overdue but very, very welcome nonetheless.
"For a long, long time there, there appeared to be no end in sight for Ferguslie."
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Security fencing has been put up around the perimeter of the site with signs warning people of the dangers and not to access it.
Where necessary, fire hoses will be used to dampen down demolition debris and reduce the build-up of dust.
The works are expected to take up to 52 weeks to complete and Caskie says it won’t carry out noisy activity between 6pm and 8am during this time.
It is understood that once demolition works are completed the site will be landscaped.
It’s a bitter-sweet moment for the local community who despite the recent challenges they have faced share many fond memories of the area.
Terry added: “I’m a boy from the scheme, I’m not a councillor, and I don’t work for the council.
“When I was growing up in this community certainly through the 80s, and early 90s Tannahill was the most highly sought-after area.
“In fact, I would often hear my elders saying ‘you need to wait until someone dies before you can get a house in there’.
“That was the height of your aspiration because it was so pristine and well-maintained.
“The last 18 months have been besieged by fires, fly-tipping, and people getting upset about their nostalgic memories of the area now being soiled and becoming a figment of the past.
“We’re trying to resurrect that albeit through social media. We’re hoping, depending on the response, that there’s potential for a social history project to run off the back of that.
“There’s a real sense of community spirit here in Ferguslie that I would argue is unrivalled anywhere else in the country.”
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Ferguslie Park was named among the most deprived areas in Scotland by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) in 2016.
Regeneration work is ongoing in the area, something which Terry says has been largely led by the community.
He added: “I’ve been brought up in a never-ending cycle of regeneration. We’ve made magnificent strides over the last five years.
"The community has really adopted the tackling of its historical challenges through an environmental lens.
“We have very few if any at all council services delivered within our community. Over the last four years, the increased engagement and increased participation rate within the local community have reaffirmed what I already knew, community-led regeneration is the way forward.
“We’re very happy that the end is in sight as it were.”
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “The demolition of the vacant properties follows the completion of 101 modern new-build energy-efficient homes by the council at a neighbouring site, as part of the ongoing community-led regeneration of Ferguslie Park.
"The major investment in housing complements a wider masterplan developed in collaboration with the local community to transform the area, called The Making of Ferguslie, which considers new uses for vacant land, how to enhance green spaces, and how to best support existing community activity.”
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