Video Update: 17 December 2011

Stonebridge Park Estate, St Ann’s, Nottingham. UK

ONE YEAR AGO Today we had the turf cutting ceremony on Stonebridge Park, and now look at what has been achieved over the last 12 months – just amazing! This latest video begins in Jersey Gardens, then along to the Long Hedge site at the top of Magson Close, a look at the new flats being built on Magson itself, and St Matthias apartments at the bottom of the road.

We then resume looking at the same houses from the rear, into Rocket Park which has a new sign! A look at the former Fairholm OAP site, Pym Walk Flats area. Dennet Close (Top row), Dennet Close (Bottom row), Lytton Close, Eastham Close, the former Peveril pub site, and views of the same taken from Beacon Hill Rise. The Bollywood Apartments from Dennet Close Road and the film ends looking at Bluebell Hill Community Centre with the new buildings in the distance.

It has been an amazing year full of surprises, but the new homes are the star attraction of 2011.

Looking for cash injection to kick-start estate regeneration

By Emily Winsor emilywinsor@hotmail.com

A CASH injection is needed to kick-start the second phase of the multi-million pound regeneration of a St Ann's estate.

Nottingham City Council and housing association LHA-ASRA say they hope to secure money to bring the next phase of improvements on the Stonebridge Park estate – but admitted it could take up to two years to find.

The estate is being regenerated by the council, LHA-ASRA and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Phase one of the development, building 95 homes at a cost of £22m, was partly paid for by kick-start money from the HCA, which provided £5.7m – but no kick-start cash is available for phase two.

LHA-ASRA chief executive Matt Cooney has high hopes that the next phase, of 115 more houses and 48 flats, will begin in the next two years

.

Former city council district housing manager Mr Cooney said: "Times are tough at the moment and we do not have the same funding privileges for phase two that we had for phase one.

"We are currently looking at ways to finance the completion of the estate – and we hope to secure funding soon so that phase two can get going."

He said he was pleased with phase one of the regeneration.

"If you go back in time to the early 1990s when the buildings were all grey and drab and compare it to today, it looks totally different.

"I take my hat off to Nottingham City Council because they are doing this at a very difficult economic time when other local authorities would shy away from it.

He went on: "Our hope is that the effect of phase one will lift the value of some of the existing properties in St Ann's too and the area will begin to flourish."

He added: "The idea is basically to rebrand the area by the time we are finished as something different and new – something which gives aspiration to those who live there."

Part of the plan is the recently completed Albany House, a £9m supported housing scheme for elderly people which was built by LHA-ASRA on the former site of Welland Court, a warden-aided complex in St Matthias Road.

St Ann's city councillor Dave Liversidge, portfolio holder for housing regeneration and community sector, said: "Phase one of this scheme has been brilliant and we're really keen to build on that success with phase two.

"We're in active discussions with our partners in the private and public housing sectors, including housing associations, to provide funding to take phase two forward to the same great success."

VIDEO Update 30 November

Stonebridge Park, St Ann’s, Nottingham.UK

Autumn is upon us and thankfully the weather is much kinder that of the hard frosts a year ago. This updates begins in Jersey Gardens, then a distant view of the Alcester pub and row of new build houses at the top of Magson Close. On the Long hedge site the new road and pavements are being put in place, and roofs are going on the large houses at the front of the site.

We then stroll down St Matthias Road looking at the rear of the Magson Close flats, with a distant view of the new roofs on the new built houses on Long Hedge. Then a look at the new St Matthias Apartment at the junction of Stonebridge & Magson Close Roads, and the new flats under construction up Magson itself.

We then have a view looking across the former Fairholm Court site at the bottom of Flewitt Gardens, a stroll into Rocket Park. We see the Pym Walk flats site, and then the new houses under construction on Dennet Close (top-row), new house on Dennet Close (Bottom-row), and then Eastham Close.

Next we view the Peveril pub site adjacent Beacon Hill Rise Road where the new roof is now being fitted to the second block of flats, and the Bollywood Apartments are being built rapidly. We then stroll down Dennet Close Road to see the new houses under construction, and a distant view of Flewitt Gardens. The film ends with views of the Peveril pub site from Beacon Hill Rise, and a look at the big crane that lifted materials onto the top of the Bollywood Apartments earlier in the week.