Towers to be demolished in 'controlled blowdown'

The towers were once home to 117 flats over 20 storeys

Three tower blocks in North Lanarkshire are to be demolished in a controlled explosion later this year.

The 20-storey Allan, Coursington and Draffen Towers in Motherwell will be destroyed in a single "blowdown event" to prepare the site for future development.

An "exclusion zone" will be put in place around the site in order to protect nearby residents.

An exact date for the blowdown is yet to be set, but North Lanarkshire council said it would "significantly change" the skyline of the town.

The council said temporary footpath and road closures would be enforced along the boundary of the site.

Those closures are only expected to last for a few hours until the demolition is complete.

Plans to demolish the towers were first put forward for the spring of 2022, but were delayed due to a technical issue.

The council said the blowdown procedure – which was used on Glasgow's Red Road flats – had been "carefully selected" from a number of options.

Chief housing officer, Stephen Llewellyn, said: "We recognise this process has taken longer than anticipated and has caused some disruption, but safety remains our top priority.

"The controlled blowdown method has been carefully selected following extensive specialist surveys and consultations with expert demolition engineers."

The Allan, Coursington and Draffen Towers in Motherwell will be destroyed in a controlled explosion later this year

Draffen Tower was completed in 1969, while the Allan and Coursington Towers were finished a year later in 1970.

Each one stands at about 58m (190ft) tall and contained 117 flats, all of which are now abandoned.

North Lanarkshire Council has a 25-year plan to knock down all 48 high-rise blocks across the local authority area.

It wants to build about 5,000 new homes to replace them.

Housing convener Michael McPake said: "This is a significant milestone in our commitment to building a better future for Motherwell.

"We will continue to work closely with the community to ensure a safe and smooth process."