AN investigation into a catastrophic flat collapse that could have led to a "serious loss of life" recommended legal action against the developer who was building homes next to the building.

On August 27, 2007, emergency crews were called to 275 Wilton Street, near Queen Margaret Drive after huge cracks appeared in the blonde sandstone building.

Firefighters evacuated five people and minutes later, the building collapsed.

Construction work had got underway to build a seven-storey block of 16 flats.

A damning report by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which has never been made public, states that Standard Homes Ltd, was a small firm with little experience of projects of this scale and had mainly been involved in refurbishing flats.

Residents are currently fighting a fresh plan by a company, believed to have links to Standard Homes, that is at an advanced stage for a similar development on the same site.

The HSE report states that construction work had started without a health and safety plan being in place with little evidence of risk assessments being carried out.

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Deep excavation work had been carried out by the contractors close to the gable end the day before the tenement collapsed.

It adds that 'no means of temporary support' was provided for the excavation "despite its depth requiring such measures."

It goes on to conclude that this omission "ultimately led to the undermining of the base of the gable wall and its eventual collapse."

The HSE said the fact that no one was injured (including the contractors involved) was only due to quick thinking residents who noticed serious cracking the tenement wall hours before the collapse.

Most of the residents lost all their possessions and strengthening works had to be carried out on the neighbouring tenement building.

The report states that Standard Homes had been warned about the dangers associated with deep excavation works before construction work got underway.

It concludes: "Legal proceedings are recommended against the Principal Contractor for their failings to both properly plan and manage the works and for failing to carry out the works in a safe manner, resulting in seriously endangering members of the public."

The development was halted and Standard Homes, which was headed up by Nahid Ali and Tanveer Ali, is said to have been dissolved.

The owner of the collapsed block of flats, Jagdish Bassi is understood to have abandoned efforts to bring a legal claim against the developers and the gap site has been lying vacant every since.

However, residents with the support of a local councillor are now fighting a fresh plan by a company linked to the original developer for a similar flat development that has been approved by the council.

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Dunand Ltd has been given planning permission to build 16 homes on the site between 259 and 275 Wilton Street. Nahid Ali and Tanveer Ali were listed as directors up until last year.

The new director is listed as Robeena Kahlid. Ms Kahlid and Tanveer Ali are both registered as living at 70 Barrington Drive off Great Western Road.

The original planning permission was granted in 2005 and there is a deadline for the development to have been completed by February 2020 or the consent runs out.

The developer has applied for an extension and local residents are calling for this to be rejected - as well as a fresh application for a building warrant - on the grounds of “public safety.”

It is understood that City Property has asked Dunand for a timeline of works, which is now under consideration and the developer is preparing to appoint a construction firm.

Commenting on the safety concerns raised by residents a council source said: “Whether a developer has appropriate competency to carry out building operations is not controlled by planning legislation

“They are matters over which the planning authority (Glasgow City Council) has no remit.

“Every planning application is considered on its individual merit, and will be considered in due course before the planning officer makes a recommendation one way or another.”

Dunand Ltd is registered on Company House at Ballantyne & Co, 60 St Enoch Square. The Evening Times contacted the firm for comment on the concerns raised by residents and no one responded.