I see that there is a letter - name and address supplied - in today's Greenock Telegraph criticising the decision of River Clyde Homes to proceed with the demolition of the Bouverie Street tenements in Port Glasgow.
While I can understand the sense of loss that the writer is experiencing - my grandparents lived in Bouverie for a good number of years - the simple truth of the matter is that these properties are no longer fit for purpose and people do not want to live in them anymore. Take a walk up a few of the closes and you will see why.
Yes we could spend a huge amount of public money trying to bring them up to modern standards but there is no guarantee that there will be a demand for them. Most of the tenements are 4 storeys high with narrow staircases. They are not suitable for people with health issues or for families.
The test for anyone who would like to see these properties saved is to ask yourself if you would be prepared to live in them. I doubt there will be many takers.
There is the option to sell the properties off to a private developer to refurbish and provide houses for sale.
I doubt however that any developer would consider this to be a viable option without significant public subsidy. Previous experience of private developers renovating former Council houses in Inverclyde has not been that successful in the long term.
That having been said, I am sure that if there are building firms out there interested in acquiring these properties for redevelopment River Clyde Homes would be happy to meet with them.
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