COUNCIL bosses are set to pursue compulsory purchase orders on derelict flats at the eyesore Clune Park estate - as a new report reveals a multi-million pound redevelopment blueprint.

A two-phased plan to create between 100 and 120 new homes at the run-down housing scheme is being drawn up by municipal buildings bosses and will be presented to councillors as part of a wider plan this week.

Council leader Stephen McCabe today confirmed the local authority had instructed officers to prepare for the potentially lengthy process of compulsory purchase in a bid to resolve the troubled scheme's problems once and for all.

But he is hopeful that the first phase of the new plan can be completed by the end of the current council term in 2027.

The initial phase of redevelopment, which can begin once the council draws up a masterplan for the site and appoints a registered social landlord as its development partner, will focus on the former Clune Park church, primary school and resource centre.

The latter two buildings are already in council hands and the local authority anticipates that negotiations for the church will be straightforward.

Demolition work will be carried out on all three sites, with new homes being built following its completion.

The second phase of the work centres on the main Clune Park crescent, which comprises the north side of Robert Street, Maxwell Street, Clune Park Street, Wallace Street, Bruce Street and Caledonia Street.

While the council now owns over 50 per cent of the properties on the estate, there is still work to be done to acquire the remainder, with various owners involved.

Councillor McCabe told the Tele the phased plan would allow the council to deal with the properties already in its hands.

He said: "We're still not at the point where we've acquired all the properties in Clune Park, so the phasing is a reflection of that.

"We want to go forward with phase one because the ownership is already in our hands or could be easily acquired.

"In terms of the rest of the estate there's a process to go through - for the private side it's about trying to acquire all the properties.

"With River Clyde Homes it would be a case of buying out the owners if there was a plan to demolish these properties.

"We've acquired over 50 per cent of the properties and there's ongoing attempts to acquire individual flats.

"There's a number of properties that have essentially fallen to the Crown and we have to go through a process for that too.

"There are still a couple of large landlords and there have been ongoing discussions with one of them which haven't come to a successful conclusion.

"Undoubtedly we will need to go down the compulsory purchase route, we're preparing for that.

"The council has given authority to officers to start that process."

The council leader said that despite Clune Park's troubles, its proximity to the town centre and various public transport routes mean it can become a popular area once again.

But he admitted it could take 'the best part of three years' for new houses to be built there.

He added: "I'm confident we will get there eventually and that once the area is redeveloped it will be a very desirable area for people to live in.

"I'm positive about the future in terms of the redevelopment but I don't underestimate that there's a fair job of work to be done in terms of the plan for the area.

"I'd be extremely disappointed if we hadn't acquired all the properties by the end of this council term and started on the demolition, if not completed it.

"In terms of replacing the housing that may run beyond this council term, but I would hope the first phase would be completed by the end of this one.

"The council have always recognised that Clune Park is a very good site and creating a new neighbourhood there would be of benefit for Port Glasgow and Inverclyde.

"That's always been the goal, it's been a hard road and will continue to be a hard road.

"But we can't lose site of that ambition."