THE last block of high flats in Greenock’s Belville Street is to be blown up.

River Clyde Homes has applied for planning permission to knock down 15-storey Hawick Court later this year.

It will cost an estimated £800,000 to do the job, including levelling and grassing over the site.

For safety reasons, houses would have to be evacuated during the demolition in an exclusion zone including parts of Kilmacolm Road, Belville Street and Bawhirley Road.

Graham McDowall, River Clyde’s asset planning and delivery manager, said: “Hawick Court has been vacant for some time now, and we have applied for consent to demolish the building.

“If we get consent, we would propose to blow it down safely in October.” Work started seven years ago to knock down Belville Street’s landmark multi-storey flats.

Selkirk, Peebles and Melrose courts were blown up on the same night in March 2103.

A community garden has been developed in their place.

A total of seven blocks were constructed in the 1960s.

They were popular places to live in their heyday, but latterly became blighted by anti-social behaviour and wear and tear.