Council seeks contractor to demolish former housing offices

NORTH Lanarkshire Council is seeking a contractor to demolish former housing offices in Cumbernauld as part of its plans to redevelop the town centre.

The council has advertised a £600,000 contract to tear down the eight-storey Fleming House building, listing the duration of the contract at eight months.

This project is one element of the council’s long-term vision for Cumbernauld, which also involves the demolition of the current town centre in order to establish a new town hub featuring schools, businesses, health and leisure facilities and community areas.

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This strategy is backed by a £9.2 million grant from the UK Levelling Up Fund.

The council has said that its plans for the town centre will not affect the Antonine Centre, New College Lanarkshire, or the supermarkets and fast food outlets currently in the area.

The declining state of the town centre has been cause for increasing concern over the years, with dozens of buckets strewn around due to widespread roof leaks and low visitor numbers resulting in many empty shops.

The council completed its purchase of the centre in 2023, having previously announced its plans for demolition as noted by Historic Scotland which opted to reject a bid to give it listed building status, saying the local authority’s plans were “too far advanced”.