Castlemilk is a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. It lies south of the city adjacent to Rutherglen and Carmunnock. While the area has a long history, it was developed by Glasgow Corporation as a peripheral housing scheme in the 1960s, housing people from the inner city slum areas like the Gorbals. The slum dwellers were provided with open spaces, a clean environment and indoor toilets and bathrooms. But like other schemes at the time, it was poorly planned, with little thought given to building amenities like schools or pubs next to the unattractive rows of houses and concrete towers, so ensuring that there were no centres where the inhabitants could socialise and develop a community. Children travelled to schools and their parents travelled to their places of employment. Shopping for more than basics had to be done in the city. The lack of community together with rising unemployment and crime saw the deterioration of the scheme back almost to the slum conditions it had been designed to replace. It became ironically referred to as Chateau Lait, in typical Glaswegian black humour.

The deterioration of the scheme took place over 20 years with many people moving out. The population had dropped from 37,000 in 1971 to roughly half that number in 1991. However, despite the social problems associated with poverty and unemployment, the area has seen the benefits of a regeneration strategy implemented in the 1980s which has focused on improved housing and the development of local arts. Community groups and Cooperative housing associations have done a lot to regenerate the housing and improve the amenities for local people. A swimming pool, sports centre, shopping arcade and community centres have been developed.

External links

• A history of Castlemilk