Demolition
Soon the new landlords as well as the council insisted that repairs were costing more than receipts in rent, and that big changes therefore had to be made. This was very different from what they had said prior to privatisation. At that time, they made no linkage between expected rental income and the making of repairs. At no time did they state that the landlords' financial income would have any bearing on tenants' rights to live in accommodation which was publicly owned, publicly subsidised, and properly looked-after. In 2005 Glasgow Housing Association announced its intention to demolish one of the tallest blocks as part of a regeneration of the area.
Meanwhile, thousands of people continue to live there, among whom there is considerable opposition to the plans to demolish their homes. As one manifestation of this, the Save Our Homes group seeks to ensure the scheme's continued existence. This is part of a growing movement to defend council housing in Britain. However, all the eight buildings are planned for phased demolition beginning in the spring of 2010 and expected to be accomplished within a decade.
On 7 March 2010, the Serykh family, three asylum seekers, jumped to their death from one of the towers. These deaths galvanised much in the way of action in and around the Red Road. Various projects now exist to document the end of the flats positively, with the hope that everyone with memories of the flats will contribute actively to the projects as best they can.
The first demolition took place on 10 June 2012 with the destruction of the triple tower block on 153–213 Petershill Drive. The second demolition followed on 5 May 2013 with the destruction of the 30-floor point block on Birnie Court. The remaining six multi-storeys in the area are due to be demolished by 2017.
Read more about this topic: Red Road (flats)