Did the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games leave a lasting impression?

THE Commonwealth Games brought regeneration to one of the poorest areas of the country.

Families benefitted from housing originally created to be the £230million athletes’ village but old problems with poverty and crime have resurfaced in Glasgow’s Dalmarnock.

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More homes are on the way but those living there have complained about a lack of shops and other crucial amenities.

The scheme’s Labour councillor George Redmond told The Scottish Sun on Sunday: “It’s unlikely things would have changed so much here without the Commonwealth Games.

“There’s a new school, a new care home and a supermarket on the way.

“It’s a very attractive place to come and live now.

“There’s people now buying three and four bedroom houses for over £300,000.

“Nobody would have ever considered that would be possible before the Games.

“But there’s still a bit to go.

“They’re extending the school because so many families are choosing to move into the area.”

Four high-rise blocks and rows of maisonettes which were built to house the workers at nearby factories and plants were flattened in 2007 to make way for the development.

More than 30,000 people lived in the area at its peak due to plentiful work in manufacturing and steelmaking.

But by the time of the Games the population had dwindled to just 1,700.

Councillor Redmond says the community has always been tight-knit but struggled with the loss of heavy industry which had a “mental as well as physical impact”.

The former athletes village is made up of more than 700 houses and sits in the shadow of the commanding Emirates Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

A community centre built to serve the community closed just five years after the Games after the firm running it went into administration.

It was snapped up for just £1 by Glasgow City Council, with a doctor’s surgery, dentist and chemist continuing to operate at the site — with discussions ongoing for a new operator to take over.

A second phase of house building is underway with at least 100 more houses set to be completed over the next year.

One woman, 36, moved in just after the athletes left and doesn’t share the optimism.

She said: “I have no complaints with the house — I just wish it was somewhere else.

“There’s a lot of antisocial behaviour.

“Fights happen most weekends, there’s a lot of fly-tipping and some of the houses already need a fair bit of work outside.

“I would never have thought about moving here before the Games.

“It was so nice when they were first built.

“But we’re in dire need of more shops and things for kids to do.

“It’s like the land that time forgot.”

Another tenant complained about problems with the plumbing in buildings saying dirty water has risen up through toilets and baths in a number of properties.

Many of the houses have doorbell cameras and CCTV.

One man, 44, said: “You can’t leave your windows open if you’re on the ground floor.

“People have found a way of opening them and getting into the buildings.

“There’s a reason people have beefed up their security.”