Wyndford tower blocks: Bid for listed status is refused

However, today heritage body responsible for the care and protection of Scotland's historic buildings said the flats did not meet listed criteria.

Read more: Wyndford tower blocks: Residents renew plea to save them

A spokesman for Historic Environment Scotland said: "We assessed the four high-rise blocks at Wyndford Road, Maryhill for listing following a request from a member of the public. 

"Our assessment found that the buildings do not meet the criteria of special architectural or historic interest required for listing. While the blocks have some importance in the context of post-war housing provision, our assessment concludes that they are not early, unusual or rare examples of their building type, and that they have also been substantially remodelled."

Read more: Wyndford flats: New report says no evidence to support keeping them

Wheatley Homes Glasgow plans to demolish four multi-storey blocks with 300 new homes to be built in their place. Scotland’s largest social landlord announced plans to invest £73million in Wyndford, more than a year ago.

Work on the flats begin in the early 1960s (Image: Newsquest)

Since then Wyndford Residents Union has been running a high-profile campaign in a bid to save the flats as they believe they could be retrofitted.

Last week a report dismissed claims that retrofitting would be the greener option.

Architect Dr Richard Atkins, a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, said: “There is little or no basis on which to argue for the retention of the existing blocks on the grounds of either energy efficiency or CO2(e) emissions’ as the four blocks have ‘no embodied emissions value’."

Campaigners opposing the demolition of four blocks, 120, 151, 171 and 191, have been occupying the buildings for several weeks.

Work could begin in April to pull down the Wyndford flats (Image: Newsquest)

The flats are on the site of the former Maryhill barracks and were designed by Ernest Buteux who was thought to be influenced by the designs of Le Corbusier – the father of modern architecture. 

Buteux was the Scottish Special Housing Association (SSHA)’s chief technical officer and was responsible for two nearby schools and low-rise buildings on the estate.

Nick Durie, of the residents union, said HES stated that they would not consider listing the scheme because a decision has already been made.

He said: "Something in Scotland is quite wrong where powerful institutions can determine whether or not our architectural and built legacy can be considered.  However, we know what we have in Buteaux's legacy.  We know what we have in terms of social housing.  We know what have in terms of buildings that can be retrofitted.  We know what we have in our much-loved community centre.  The GHA has not a care in the world for these treasures."

He added they will continue their resistance until the landlords are brought to the negotiating table.

Wheatley Homes Glasgow welcomed the decision by Historic Environment Scotland not to the blocks.

Bernadette Hewitt, Wheatley Homes Glasgow tenant chair, backed the decision by Historic Environment Scotland.

Mrs Hewitt said: “This decision will be warmly welcomed by the overwhelming majority of tenants at Wyndford who are fully behind our plans to invest £73 million transforming their community.

“At every stage of this process, the voice and wishes of tenants needs to be heard. Tenants have told us they want larger, family homes built in Wyndford which are more energy-efficient and cheaper to run.

“The tenants’ Future Focus group will now double its efforts and work with award-winning architects to help shape the exciting plans for the new-look community.”

In recent years Historic Environment Scotland has given listed status to developments in other cities.
In Aberdeen eight high-rises, Gilcomstoun Land, Porthill Court, Seamount Court, Virginia Court, Marischal Court, Thistle Court, Hutcheon Court, and Greig Court, were given listed status. However, after appeal three were overturned.
Cables Wynd House, better known as Leith Banana Flats, which featured in author Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting, also enjoys listed status. 
Both Cables Wynd House and the neighbouring Linksview House were given A-listed status by HES in 2017 and were said to be of national significance due to their “groundbreaking designs.”
The brutalist buildings, minimalist constructions that showcase the bare building materials, were built in the 1960s.