| The 14-storey blocks have been earmarked for demolition for more than five years, but it has taken until now to re-house tenants and allow the work of taking them down to start.
A council spokesman said Balgay Court is the first of the blocks to be demolished and contractors are in the process of dismantling it.
Gowrie Court is also empty of tenants and is scheduled to be the next block to come down. A few tenants still remain in the three other blocks — Glamis, Ninewells and Hillside Courts — but these will de demolished once they have been vacated.
The multis are being taken down mechanically rather than with explosives because of their proximity to the Ninewells Hospital complex.
At the time the demolition contract was being awarded housing convener Jimmy Black said, “They can’t be blown up because we can’t create a huge cloud of dust close to Ninewells Hospital.”
The council spokesman said there had been consultation with hospital authorities about the demolition.
Among them the five blocks were once home to around 1000 people in a total of more than 400 flats, but were declared surplus to council requirements in 2004.
Following demolition and treatment of the site, the council intends to sell the land and use the proceeds to help meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard for its remaining stock.
After the Menzieshill demolitions the next tower blocks scheduled to come down are the Maxwelltown multis in Alexander Street. The council spokesman said only a handful of tenants remain in the blocks and it is expected they will be empty soon, allowing the process leading to demolition to start. |
