‘Britain’s Chernobyl’ estate set for demolition, but five residents refuse to leave

A largely abandoned housing estate dubbed ‘Britain’s Chernobyl’ is finally facing the wrecking ball, but its five remaining residents have no plans to leave.

Clune Park, in Port Glasgow, Scotland has been almost empty since the late 90s and now looks like something from a post-apocalyptic movie.

The estate was built in 1905 to house ship yard workers and is made up of tenement blocks with 430 flats, plus a school and a church.

Most of the buildings have fallen into disrepair, with broken windows, graffiti on the walls and litter scattered around

Inverclyde Council, whichowns 50 per cent of the estate, has issued dangerous building notices for 138 of the flats, which it plans to knock down.

It invited private owners to appeal against the notices but no objections were received by the deadline of 6 August.

Tenders for the demolition of the flats, the primary school and former church are currently being sought.

Marshal Craig wants to stay living on the estate (Picture: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

Inside Marshal’s flat (Picture: Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS)

Despite this some of the last residents on the estate say they have no plans to leave.

Speaking last year, Marshal Craig, 71, said he was one of just five people left there, claiming it is ‘idyllic’.

The retired forestry worker said: ‘I’ve lived here for 20 years all in all and four years in this particular house.

‘Quite frankly, I don’t want to move and I’m quite happy here.

‘I know it’s rough sometimes and people come in and smash stuff but I’m perfectly happy here and I don’t want to leave.

The flat’s have been dubbed ‘Britain’s Chernobyl’ (Picture: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

‘In some ways it’s quite idyllic. My house is built like a castle. The walls are thick and sturdy, there’s a nice view and no dampness.

‘The only thing the view from my kitchen window is missing is a few palm trees!’

The estate was largely abandoned in the late 1990s after the majority of the shipyard workers employed nearby moved out.

Marshal says the remaining residents all stay in the same area of one block.

He said: ‘When I first moved here there was a lot more people, but now it’s pretty much empty.

‘Now, out of the 480 families that would be able to stay here, there’s only five of us left holding down the fort.

‘They’re great neighbours. I think I’ll be tying myself to the radiator if they make me move out.

Trees and bushes surrounding the blocks have taken over (Picture: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

‘I’m really happy here, it’s my home and I’ve lived here for 20 years so I don’t want to go.’

There have been several arson attacks on the properties, which are some of the cheapest in Britain. One flat sold for just £6,000 in 2020.

The council would like to demolish the whole estate.

A spokesperson said: ‘While progress to regenerate Clune Park has been incredibly difficult, a huge amount of work has been taking place in the background.

‘We have been proactively acquiring properties for a number of years and now own over half the estate and the door remains open for private owners to negotiate the sale of the remaining properties in the area.

‘A lot of work has also been taking place to examine potentially dangerous buildings which have fallen into a serious state of disrepair due to a number of factors, including deliberate fires and anti-social behaviour.’

The flats are regularly set on fire by arsonists (Picture: Jamie Williamson)

The spokesperson said security has also been increased, including ‘extra fencing, CCTV and community warden patrols, to deter people from going near dangerous and potentially dangerous buildings’.

The estate has been popular over the years with urban explorers, and was recently visited by Kyle Urbex.

He said: ‘This was certainly one of the biggest explorations I have completed,” said Kyle.

‘This huge abandoned housing estate was an odd one. It soon became apparent that youths frequented the flats as a “chill spot”.

‘It’s sad to see so much potential end up this way and left to rot.

‘I did come across little keepsakes on windowsills of times gone by and I thoroughly enjoyed having a decent walk round.”‘

James Smith