A PROPERTY developer has sparked controversy with plans to turn a dozen condemned tower blocks in Glasgow into designer flats.
A PROPERTY developer has sparked controversy with plans to turn a dozen condemned tower blocks in Glasgow into designer flats.
Paul Mugnaioni has held meetings with Glasgow Housing Association bosses over the acquisition of multi-storey blocks earmarked for demolition in the next few years.
The former local authority housing director's Quality Street firm wants to buy a raft of properties, including two blocks in the Gorbals and two in Ibrox.
The bid for the Gorbals multi-storeys, at Norfolk Court, is believed to be around £6m. The cost of demolition and clearance, scheduled for this summer, would be £4m.
Mr Mugnaioni, a qualified architect, denied he wanted to "yuppify" former social housing and claimed the properties would fall within the affordable bracket.
GHA has referred the proposal for Gorbals blocks to a resident-led regeneration group for the final decision.
But Laurieston Steering Group claims the sale of the properties to Quality Street would set their own masterplan back years.
The group hopes to replicate the success of the new Gorbals on semi-derelict land to the west of the site.
It said it opposed the flats plan, which would affect its own regeneration plans.
Questions have also been raised about housing associations losing out, with land earmarked for social housing going into private hands.
Critics have questioned whether Glasgow needs more one and two-bedroom flats when there's a real shortage of family homes.
Mr Mugnaioni, whose firm is also involved in a £27m programme for a new residential area at Firhill Basin on the Forth & Clyde Canal, said Quality Street had been working on the proposals for six months and insisted talks with GHA were at a very early stage.
He was reluctant to draw comparisons with any similar schemes in the UK, and insisted: "You won't see anything like it this side of the US."
However, a similar idea was made into a BBC documentary The Tower, which followed the regeneration of dilapidated ex-council high-rises in south London.
Mr Mugnaioni denied claims his plans would slow down the Laurieston regeneration.
He said: "I believe quite the opposite will happen. A substantial injection of capital will accelerate the regeneration."
But ex-councillor Jimmy Mutter, head of Laurieston Steering Group, believes Mr Mugnaioni is several years too late for his Gorbals scheme.
He said: "We are ready to push the button on our plans and this would set us back considerably. We're very much opposed to this, not in principle, but for the impact on our masterplan."
