The Demolition of the flats

A series of local newspaper articles on the demolition of Kersal Flats. Click on the newspaper to open up a larger copy.

If you would like a larger, higher quality copy of any of these pictures email kersalflats@hotmail.co.uk

A series of newspaper articles on the future of the flats before the demolition.

 

A plan from 1987 to turn the flats into student accommodation for Salford University. It failed because the government would not provide £5 million in grants but they did for the failed property development of the flats. From the Advertiser on the 26th November 1987

 

An earlier plan for the estate by the developers Regalian Properties. The original plan was to demloish only six of the flats. From the Salford City Reporter 20th October 1988.

 

Newspaper reports of the demolition

 

A report from the Salford City Reporter on the 23rd August 1990 on the upcoming demolition

 

A report from the Manchester Evening News on the 9th October 1990 on the upcoming demolition and the plans for the estate.

 

An article anticipating the demolition of the flats and outling the plans for the estate.The Advertiser 11/10/1990

The Manchester Evening News reports on the demolition on the 15th October 1990.

 

The Daily Telegraph reports on the demoltion on the 15th October 1990.

 

The Daily Star on the 15th October 1990.

 

The Guardian on the 15th October 1990.

 

The front page of the local press showing the demolition of eight flats and proclaiming it a world record.Salford City Reporter 18/10/1990

 

 

The same paper marking the end of an era and highlighting the experience of Helen Hagen.Salford City Reporter 18/10/1990

 

 

And the Salford Journal reports on the 18th October 1990.

 

Some newspaper reports from the period just after the demolition.

Harold Foster the landlord of the Castle Pub proclaiming that the pub will live on.Salford City Reporter 25/10/1990

 

A couple of letters from readers criticizing the plans for the estate and rememberin the good times of the old estate.Salford City Reporter 1/11/1990

The residents of the streets surrounding the flats highlighting the problems that the demolition had caused.Salford City Reporter 1/11/1990

 

 

Some newspaper reports about the new property development on the site of Kersal Flats. The plan was to knock down all the flats except Shelley, Spencer, Blake and Cowper. To renovate those flats and to build houses on the rest of the site. This plan proved to be an absolute disaster and the plan quickly ran into trouble. Indeed anyone and everyone could have predicted this. Towards the late 1980s the council could not give a flat on Kersal Flats to anyone. It was clear that no-one was going to pay to live in one of the least desirable addresses in Europe.

And the hard sell begins as Regalian Properties try to pitch Kersal Flats as luxury living in the Manchester Evening News on the 19th August 1991.

 

And the hard sell continues with an advert on the 28th August 1991 in the Manchester Evening News.

 

And more good news stories this time in the Advertiser on the 5th September 1991.

 

Yet more good news stories highlighting the success of the project.

 

But it all goes horribly wrong very, very quickly.