£3m work on fire-hit house
Flats conversion begins on site
Work started earlier this week on converting the iconic Blairtum House in Burnside into flats.
Rosewood Homes will spend £3million on the project, which is expected to be completed next summer.
Fears had been raised that the C-listed sandstone villa would be bulldozed after fire ripped through the building in May this year.
The blaze, which was started deliberately, could be seen from miles around with fire crews from Cambuslang, Castlemilk, Springburn and Polmadie taking three hours to bring it under control.
But essential work to clear the site of debris and make it safe has now been completed following the arson attack.
Lou Lauder, Rosewood Home’s construction director, said: “We’re back on track and are on schedule to have the project finished by July next year.
“We’re building luxury flats and properties which will breathe new life into an outstanding, historic location.
“Unfortunately the fire delayed the project slightly but we’re delighted we’ve now started the building work on a development which will provide much-needed, attractive housing for this area.”
He added: “We’d like to thank South Lanarkshire Council who have been hugely supportive from the very early stages of the development, the planning process and throughout the delay caused by the fire.”
Originally built in 1878, Blairtum House was used as a home for the elderly from the ‘60s until the ‘80s. It became a respite and day care facility for dementia sufferers until 1996 before being converted to starter flats under the management of the YMCA until 2006.
In 2013, planning permission was given to convert the building into flats.
The fire left many in the community, including former residents of the starter flats, stunned.
Donna MacLean, who stayed in the facility for a year in the late 90s, said: “What a waste it would have been if they had to pull it down.”
The flats, which will comprise a threebedroom penthouse and t w o, threebedroom luxury flats, is part of a wider Blairtum Park development which wi l l also include four, fivebedroom villas with pr ices ranging from £ 388,000 to £499,000.
Fire crews fight the flames at Blairtum back in May