Clydebank landmark to be demolished

Jamie Borthwick Jamie Borthwick - 1620 • Published 28 Jan 2009 09:40

Boilermakers axe is ‘heartbreaking’

A LANDMARK in Clydebank"s history will be erased from the townscape when it is demolished next month.

The Clydebank Boilermakers Social Club on Dumbarton Road is set to be razed to improve road access to the waterfront.

The 50-year-old club was built for the thousands of boilermakers working in the shipyards in the town and is used today for clubs and functions.

Now it could face extinction as a replacement building has not been built for the club to move into.

Former Provost Alistair Macdonald told the Post when the proposals originally came up he persuaded the council to agree a new facility would be built for the club before it was razed.

Mr Macdonald, an honorary member of the club, said: 'I told the Boilermaker members don"t agree to anything until you get a guarantee for a new club to be built - that was received and a new club was to be built behind the snooker club.

'I am quite surprised it is being knocked down because no brick has been laid for the new premises yet.

'I personally argued a replacement club would be built before the current one is demolished and I am dismayed it will be demolished and they won"t have a place to walk into.

'It seems to me a betrayal of the conditions agreed upon.'

Clydeside Regeneration Ltd bought the land where the Boilermakers stands and Mr Macdonald called on the company to help preserve a part of the area"s history.

He added: 'When this gets pulled down a part of Clydebank"s history will longer exist.

'It seems to me that the people who are responsible for the redevelopment should be ensuring another landmark in Clydebank"s history will not just be tossed aside.'

Margaret Thursby, Boilermakers Club treasurer, said the loss of the club was 'heartbreaking'. She added: 'At the moment Clydeside Regeneration can"t give any guarantee a new club will be built.

'We can"t stay open just now anyway because of the money situation - no-one"s coming in to use it and it"s heartbreaking.

'It"s disappointing - so many times they said they were going to build a new club and that doesn"t happen.

'We"ve been here fifty years and we can"t keep going on and on.'

A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council said: 'The Boilermakers Club requires to be demolished in order to make way for an improved new junction for Cable Depot Road, which is needed to provide access to the planned development on the waterfront.

'Planning permission and a building warrant were granted for a new club near Wallace Street in 2006 and 2007 respectively but development has not yet commenced.'

Clydeside Regeneration was unavailable for comment.

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This article appeared in Clydebank Post 28 Jan 09

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