Picture by Jim Crosthwaite
Dumbarton Harbour – a great opportunity for for good social housing wasted.
By Democrat reporter
They’re building far too many houses at Dumbarton Harbour, according to a number of local people.
“It is just another sprawling estate, [which will] end up as Castlehill-on-Clyde or Bellsmyre-by-the-sea,” Ann McColl Graham told her friends on Facebook.
A swift response from Rosemary McConnell-Hegarty said: “My exact words. Give it a couple of years. You [only] need one bad neighbour …”
One prediction was that the new estate in Castle Street, Dumbarton, opposite the £17 million Council headquarters in the Burgh Hall, could end up as “Glenside Mark II”.
Glenside, which is contiguous with Bellsmyre and Aitkenbar, has been earmarked for demolition.
The criticism kept flowing in.
Michael Duffy said: “I didn’t like it when I saw it last year when I was home. No character.”
Ann McColl Graham replied: “I won’t be here to see it, . but in 30 or 40 years’ time they’ll be bull-dozing it.”
Sandi Clark was one of a number of respondents who wasn’t convinced by the estate agent’s sales publicity for Dumbarton Harbour.
She said he had seen a wide range of reactions to that – “I saw that. And I have been hearing a quare mix [of reactions]. Thank God I don’t stay there.”
Michael Duffy wasn’t the only one to come up with a gloomy prediction about the Harbour’s future – “Probably or it will be completely flooded due to climate change.”
Elizabeth McColl said the estate would be made up of “pokey wee hooses looking into each other’s windaes”.
And Margo Sharp added: “Looks like Cell Block H.”
Rosemary McConnell-Hegarty speculated: “You can imagine it when the gangs of youths start to gather. ….no thanks…. it will be murder trying to get rehoused. Brutal.”
Julie Graham added: “Hate them! Only good if you get one [that’s] one looking over the water.
“The ones behind are so close they’ll be looking into one another’s houses! Oh, and less of the Glenside put down. Still here.”
Ann McColl Graham, whose post started the discussion, said she wasn’t putting Glenside down – “What I’m saying is that there are too many blocks of flats, not enough semis and that there’s far too many hooses crowded on tae wan wee space – a recipe for disaster.”
The SNP controlled council was not available for comment.
Under construction – Dumbarton Harbour houses and Leven Walkway to Dumbarton Castle.