THE race to complete the £43million regeneration of one of Glasgow's most deprived housing estates is in its final lap.

THE race to complete the £43million regeneration of one of Glasgow's most deprived housing estates is in its final lap.

Once complete, nearly 500 tenants will have a new or modernised home on the former site of dilapidated tenements in Camlachie, near Parkhead.

The new and upgraded houses and flats replace hundreds of sub standard properties in the area formerly known as Barrowfield, which lies in the shadow of Celtic Park.

Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell was in the East End of Glasgow yesterday to attend a ceremony to mark the last phase of the Camlachie project, which is led by the West of Scotland Housing Association.

The MSP rang a lap bell to signal the countdown to completion of the development, which lies at the heart of the area being redeveloped for the 2014 Common-wealth Games.

Mr Maxwell said: "The Camlachie project is a tremendous boost to the local community that will complement and enhance the legacy of Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games."

Already 370 homes have been built or modernised since the eight-phase project began in 1996. The final two phases will see the completion of a further 106 new-build homes by 2010.

Duncan McNaught, chief executive of West of Scotland Housing Association, said: "Today is a significant milestone in the regeneration of Camlachie. Throughout the project I have been impressed by the contribution by tenants, by our contractors and association staff alike."

The redevelopment in Camlachie includes both apartments and homes with gardens and a £2m social hub - the Bambury Regeneration Centre -which provides activities from aerobics and beauty therapy to lifelong learning and multimedia facilities.

It comes more than a decade after Glasgow City Council helped local people set up their own community housing association - Camlachie Housing Association.

After a few years, residents recognised joining West of Scotland Housing Association would accelerate the pace of change, which it did.

Anne Young, chairwoman of the Camlachie Area Association, said: "We wanted better conditions.

"The community spirit has become even stronger thanks to people getting the home they always wanted."

Mr McNaught said: "The project demonstrates what can be achieved when a community based-housing association joins a larger association like ourselves with the resources and experience to make their vision of transformation a reality."