A UK housing estate that’s been nicknamed “Britain’s Chernobyl” has been all but abandoned – with some even claiming it’s haunted.
Clune Park, about 18 miles from Glasgow’s bustling centre, was once an industrial hub where workers on the area’s shipyards would call home. Now, however, Clune Park has seen most of its residents pack up and leave.
The area has been described as a “festering wound” by Inverclyde Council, who have plans to demolish all of the area’s properties. Some people even say Clune Park is haunted with amateur ghost hunters often visiting in the hopes of spotting something spectral roaming the streets.
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(Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)
The place has also caught the eye of urban explorers attracted by its post-apocalyptic feel. Taking to Reddit, some even asked whether the area was worth poking around. One person wrote: “I grew up in the Port, you can definitely access and walk around the streets, some of the closes are also accessible and you can easily go in and out.
“There are people living there still and some of the flats that seem empty are used by drug dealers to grow weed, some other empty ones have people squatting in them, so there’s a high chance you’ll bump into a few unsavoury characters.”
But others weren’t so keen on welcoming visitors. “There’s f*** all to see except empty flats, rubbish strewn streets and a pervasive sense of misery and desolation,” said another user.
“What the f*** is wrong with you? Go, you might find what you’re not looking for.”
(Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)
Arson attacks are not uncommon and the streets are covered in litter and graffiti. Few residents remain in Clune Park – as of last year, Marshal Craig, 71, was one of the last.
And he insists he won’t up sticks, even though Inverclyde Council – which has bought more than half of the properties in the area – want to knock them down. The retired forestry worker previously said: “I’ve lived here for 20 years all in all and four years in this particular house.’
‘Quite frankly, I don’t want to move and I’m quite happy here. I know it’s rough sometimes and people come in and smash stuff but I’m perfectly happy here and I don’t want to leave.”
Last year, the council looked into a compulsory purchase order which would mean Craig would have to leave. Their plans involved demolishing the houses and constructing up to 120 new properties between 2023 and 2028.
(Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)
An Inverclyde Council spokesperson told the Daily Star: “Over a number of years, the council has acquired more than 50 per cent of the properties in Clune Park, with a large acquisition of properties made last year. It remains our ambition to acquire the remainder of the properties to demolish them and allow for the delivery of long-term regeneration of the area.
“Efforts to acquire the remaining properties from the private landlords continue to be difficult. While progress has been frustratingly slow and costly, the vision to regenerate Clune Park still remains and discussions are continuing with private property owners to achieve this aim at the earliest possible opportunity.”
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