Mansion plans unveiled for former Inverkip home of murdered Margaret Fleming
A proposed two-storey, five-bedroom glass-fronted residence would sit on the Clyde Riverbank on the site of Fleming's former home, overlooking Inverkip, as planning documents stress a 'new lease of life' for a site haunted by tragedy.
Plans have been submitted to Inverclyde Council to build a large glass-fronted, two-storey house on the site of the former home of Margaret Fleming in Inverkip, Inverclyde. The five-bedroom residence would sit on land that lies on the banks of the River Clyde and replaces the dilapidated detached house that was demolished following Fleming's murder and the conviction of her carers.
Fleming, who was held at Seacroft in Inverkip by Edward Cairney and Avril Jones before she was killed, has never had her body found. In 2019, Jones and Cairney were convicted of Fleming's murder and were also found to have defrauded her disability benefits by more than £180,000 over more than a decade and a half. The case drew wide attention to Fleming's disappearance and the alleged abuse she endured, including a 17-year gap in contact with social services after her disability benefit applications were filed.
The derelict plot where Fleming's former home stood has remained largely empty since the property's demolition. Detectives recovered more than 300 fragments of bone from the site, described in local reporting as non-human in origin, and the landscape has since been left with a sense of eeriness that planners and local residents hope the new development might counterbalance.
Documents submitted on behalf of the developer, Rebecchi Architectural, outline a two-storey, five-bedroom home with four bedrooms on the first floor and a guest room on the ground floor. The design includes an office, a games room with a bar, a lounge, and a large open-plan sitting area that integrates kitchen and dining spaces. A detached two-car garage is part of the scheme, and the proposal emphasizes river-facing features such as expansive windows and balconies to capture the property’s waterfront setting. Eco-friendly elements are also highlighted, including solar panels and an air-source heat pump.
Architects describe the massing as five distinct gabled forms that give the impression of several smaller buildings while staying within a single overall structure. They propose shifting the massing and orienting the home to maximise views, with balconies intended to provide elevated private spaces and large overhangs designed to shield against rain and sun while reducing solar heat gain.
The planning statement notes that a fresh, contemporary development could give the site a new lease of life—an outcome the immediate neighbours and residents in the area are said to support. Inverclyde Council will decide whether to approve the plans as part of the local development process.
The site’s history looms large in any discussion of new construction here. The former Fleming residence was knocked down after the murder and subsequent conviction of Fleming's carers. The house’s sale in 2017 reportedly fetched around £120,000 before demolition, and the surrounding plot has since stood largely empty as authorities and residents grapple with the legacy of the case. Fleming’s disappearance remains unresolved, and her remains have never been located, leaving a lasting imprint on the community and on the planning debate over this plot.