Landmark demolition of Irvine high flats to begin next week

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The demolition of Irvine's iconic high flats will begin on Monday. An ultra-high reach excavator will roll onto the Fullarton site next week as the five towers are brought to the ground.The Garnock Tower will be the first to be razed in what's been described as a significant milestone for the town.Demolition bosses have warned that dust and increased noise will be experienced.In a bid to minimise the impact, water-fed dust suppression hoses will be fitted to the excavator with work on the site restricted limited to 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.Painstaking work to rip apart the innards of the flats began last summer.Lock-ups and the concierge station have already been demolished at the site.Once demolition has been completed on the 14-storey towers, work will begin on more than 50 new affordable council houses in what's being touted as one of the council's biggest ever regeneration projects.Cabinet member for place, councillor Tony Gurney, said: “This is clearly a significant milestone in what is a major housing project for North Ayrshire Council.“It will be one of the largest regeneration projects we have ever undertaken and will completely transform the area.“The tower blocks have served us well for more than half a century but, like many other authorities, we are moving away from high-rise council properties and creating a new generation of modern, affordable, energy-efficient homes.“The transformation of the Fullarton area will be a key project as we continue towards our commitment to build 1,625 new homes in every part of North Ayrshire by 2028.”The decision to breathe new life into the Fullarton high flats site was taken back in 2018 after 66 per cent of tenants voted in favour of the demolition of the tower