Rocket Park: 1 July 2011

Reporter: Mr Patrick Henshaw. patrickhenshaw@ymail.com

The central area of Rocket Park is being laid out in a large circle, outlined in light coloured bricks. I like the four new footpaths now being laid which lead into the centre of the Park, its all going to look really nice when its finished, I have lived here for a number of years and this is a big improvement from before. Work began at the end of May, so a lot has been done to Rocket Park over the last 4 weeks.

Dennet Close Bottom-row: 1 July 2011

Reporter: Mr Richard Pearson. richard.pearson53@yahoo.co.uk

Work is well advanced on this row of houses, the wooden roof beans are now in place and it just gives the appearance of Coronation Street, up north. I can imagine nipping into The Rovers Return for a quick pint, and chatting to Ena Sharples in the street. I really like these houses, and they are proper houses made of bricks, and are far superior to the Wimpey's built houses nearby.

Eastham Close Site: 1 July 2011

Reporter: Mr John Bailey. johnbailey78@ymail.com

I live on the Estate and today there is only two topics of conversation: how fast the new houses and flats are being built, and to such a high standard of workmanship. The second is the small size of the two houses which are being built on Eastham Close. They are quite prominent and look quite nice from the outside.

The House plans published on this blog two weeks ago tell a different story. I just cannot understand why there is no closet downstairs, a small room to hang up your coats, and put cleaning stuff in like brushes, mops and a vacuum cleaner. The kitchen seems small as well, I don’t think there would be much room to use the ironing board. There is also nowhere to put your washing to dry if its raining out, or if you have to go to work during the day. The person living here would have to use a clothes horse, and ironing board in the living room.

The block of houses being built nearby is now up to the third level, and seems so high. I agree with Richard Pearson about the bottom row. I asked workmen on the site and they said that these were all kitchens. The living rooms are on the middle level they said, so the bedrooms must be along the top. My wife and I cook a Sunday roast each week, and with three large saucepans boiling away there is a lot of steam. Even with a window open it still condenses on the cold window glass and walls. In the ground floor kitchens of this new block of houses there are no ventilation grills. Nowhere for the steam to go except onto the walls and in the air. The people who do move in are going to have a big problem with mould and damp, I wouldn’t like that at all.

The photographs below show the Eastham Close Site as it is today.

The bottom photograph shows the same block of houses as seen from Eastham Close Road.

Pevril Pub Site: 1 July

Reporter: Sharon Easom. sharoneasom@rocketmail.com

It was quite a delight to see the new block of flats from Beacon Hill Rise, and the new houses along Eastham Close Road nearing completion. I have lived on the Stonebridge Park Estate for over 12 years now and remember the Pevril pub very well. It was once a very popular venue for locals, and I went in quite often. Laying the foundations for the new block of apartments along Dennet Close must have been quite difficult. Workmen dug a deep trench and poured concrete into moulds to form the walls. Now that the foundation is in place it would seem that work will now begin on the new apartment block.

The new block of flats at the front of the site has maroon coloured doors, and white double glazing and finished in sand coloured bricks. Everyday work men are inside this block finishing the interior.

The photographs below show the Pevril Pub Site as it is now. It seems unbelievable, but only 22 weeks have gone by since Lovell first began building on the Stonebridge Estate and work has advanced to fast.

 

Video: Old St Ann’s Pt 2

Added By: Patrick Henshaw. patrickhenshaw@ymail.com

 

 

A decade ago St Ann’s library on the Robin Hood Chase began a unique project, ‘A Day of Memories’ and invited the people who once lived in this town to return and reminisce about the good old days, and it became an annual event. People brought in old photo’s of the town as it use to be. This special presentation is a slide show of over 200 images set to music. This video is part two.

Lovell: Dust, Power-cuts & Cameras

Reporter: Mrs Janis Dodson. janisdodson@ymail.com

Around the Stonebridge Park Estate Building Contractor Lovell are continuing to cause a lot of nuisance for tenants & residents with all of the dirt and dust being blown off the building sites onto nearby parked cars, dirtying windows, and locals are walking it into their homes. This subject was raised at the Stonebridge Park Tenants & Residents public meeting in April, and despite reassurance from City Council officers that they would talk to Lovell about this nuisance to stop it from happening, the problem continues today. Lovell has made no apology to locals about this continuing problem, or made an effort to stop it from happening.

There have been three power cuts on the Stonebridge Estate over the last month, the most recent on 28^th June was caused by Lovell workmen accidentally cutting through electric cables. The power cut lasted 4 hours. Another inconvenience for tenants & residents.

Mr Robert Whyman ventured onto the Eastham Close building site in May to protest about the building of two controversial houses 9 feet away from his Lytton Close home. The incident could have been handled sympathetically, however, Lovell decided to be heavy handed and have this resident arrested.

Despite having permission from LHA to take a few photographs on the Eastham Close site on 14th June, Lovell informed Mr Richard Pearson that he should not take any further photographs on their land!

So this construction firm does not have a good reputation when it comes to building good relations with local tenants & residents.

Video: Old St Ann's Pt 1

Added By: Patrick Henshaw. patrickhenshaw@ymail.com

A decade ago St Ann’s library on the Robin Hood Chase began a unique project, ‘A Day of Memories’ and invited the people who once lived in this town to return and reminisce about the good old days, and it presentation is a slide show of over 200 images set to music. This video is part two.became an annual event. People brought in old photo’s of the town as it use to be. This special presentation is a slide show of over 200 images set to music. This video is part one.

Fairholm Court Site: 1 July 2011

Reporter: Mr John Bailey. johnbailey78@ymail.com

The work is complete on this area of land at the bottom of Flewitt Gardens. The ground has been levelled, and a layer of top soil has been spread all over.There is not much else to say because the photographs speak for themselves.

Magson Close: 1 July 2011

Reporter: Sharon Easom. sharoneasom@rocketmail.com

A lot of work has been going on on this land behind the Coop, digging trenches, sorting bricks, and levelling the ground for months, but it just looks like Lovell’s have only just moved onto this piece of ground; its deceptive. I can see that the concrete base for new apartments is now in position so building work cannot be that far away.

I was talking to some of the people who live in the houses opposite, they are so annoyed about all of the dust kicked up by the work. It covers there cars, sticks to there windows and gets treaded into their homes. Lovell’s just don’t seem to care about any of this. On the day I visited Magson Close there was a power cut on the Stonebridge Estate caused by workmen cutting through an electric cable on Eastham Close. It lasted 4 hours, and this was the third power cut in a month. Again Lovell’s have never apologised to locals for the inconvenience; its not clever customer service.

Long Hedge Site: 1 July 2011

Reporter: Mrs June Gaskell. junegaskell@yahoo.co.uk

This is the first time I been to the top of Magson Close for a very long time. None of these new houses were built back then, now it has some nice big houses, and they look quite lovely; I wouldn’t mind living in one of these. The doors seem a bit odd along side the windows. From the back the big house on the front of this site seems to be ‘looking’ at you. The top windows are the eyes and the door is the mouth. I do hope that they open a show house here soon, I would like to have a look around inside them.

 

Open letter: To the Chairman LHA_ASRA

From: Mr Richard Pearson

Richard.peason53@yahoo.co.uk

The Chairman

LHA_ASRA

3 Bede Island Road
Leicester
LE2 7EA

20^th June 2011

Dear Sir,

In my opinion, the new accommodation block on Eastham close is a planning defect which will have a serious impact on the new occupants of the ground floor units for years to come, and may have a financial impact on LHA_ASRA.

The four ground floor units are situated on a concrete base approximately 18” thick. Inside the two central living units there are no air ventilation ducts in the walls or in the concrete ceiling, and no doors or windows, except for the front main openings facing the Eastham Close houses. The two end units are the same except they do have oblong windows. All of the ground floor units have no stairs linking them to the upper level.

Inside all of the ground floor units there is a single small blue water inlet pipe in the floor at the back of each room. All four units are meant to be connected to the EnviroEnergy District Heating Scheme, yet there is no pipe-work located in any of the concrete floors, or walls.

There is no obvious in let gas pipe, or electricity inlet cables.

There is no outflow drainage pipes located in the floor of each unit for the toilet, bath, bathroom-sink or kitchen-sink (large or small). There is a single small blue cold water inlet pipe; however, this needs to supply the bath, bathroom-sink, and kitchen-sink.

The only way into these four ground floor units is through the large open window units facing the Eastham Close houses opposite. The detailed site plan shows a single narrow footpath in front of all of these four living units. The plan also shows a narrow footpath, less than 5’ wide, each side of this block leading up onto Eastham Close road, which also has two rows of steps. It will be very difficult for the new occupants to take their wheelie bins up onto Eastham Close road to be emptied each Thursday evening.

There is no indication of good lighting for these two footpaths.

The greatest problem faced by the former occupants of the block of flats that was once situated here was intimidation, and threats, from the drug dealers that moved in and occupied the forecourt and grass bank of the nearby pedestrian subway. These dealers were present 7am till dark seven days a week throughout the year. It is therefore very likely that history will repeat itself for the occupants of this new accommodation block. Why? Because drug dealers are presently occupying a location at the bottom of Lytton Close nearby and intimidating local residents today and waiting to move in.

The local Police Beat Manager Paul Deane PC 873 – Tel: Mobile 07792 437357 – or 0300 300 9999 Ext 811 6766 will be able to advise you about the latest drug dealing problems on the Stonebridge Park Estate today.

What should LHA_ASRA (the developer) & Lovell (the builder) do now?

In my opinion it is important that all further construction work should stop on the Eastham Close site with immediate affect, to allow time for the building plans to be reconsidered, and amendments made. If work is allowed to continue it is likely that as the developer (future Landlord) LHA will suffer a serious financial loss of income from being unable to let the ground floor units. Have friction with Nottingham City council because these units cannot be connected to the District Heating Scheme.

If it is possible to let any of the ground floor units, you will face localised problems with the wheelie-bin emptying regime, Royal mail delivery, inadequate footpath lighting, and the new occupants being intimidated by drug dealing youths occupying each of the two pedestrian footpaths/steps.

A look inside the two central ground floor accommodations units.

A look inside the north end ground floor accommodation unit, which has a single narrow window.

The colourful detailed Eastham Close site plan showing the new accommodation block and two small nearby houses B1 & B2 side of 9 Lytton close.

The detailed Eastham Close site plan accompanying the Reserved Planning Application (2010). Please can you take a look at the construction plans for this new accommodation block on Eastham Close, Stonebridge Park Estate, Nottingham. NG3 2GJ and carryout a review to rectify the planning defects which are troubling the site today.

Thank you

Yours sincerely
Richard Pearson

Mr Richard Pearson

Eastham Close Site: Houses

These two controversial ‘small’ 1B type houses are located next to 9 Lytton Close. The size of the living room is approximately 20’ x 11’. Kitchen 10’ x 11’. Down stairs hall & toilet area 10’ x 10’. The Bedrooms are each 10’ x 11’. On the ground floor there is no coat room or obvious place to hang up your hat, coat or umbrella. There is also no Closet to store brushes, mops bucket/bowl, ironing board, vacuumed cleaner, tools or garden tools. Oddly, these two small houses are supposed to be connected to the EnviroEnergy District Heating Scheme yet the detailed house plans show no radiators in any of the rooms!

By comparison I live in a one-bed flat, the size of the living room is approximately 16’ x 13’. Kitchen 10’ x 15’. Bedroom 14’ x 14’ and bathroom 10’ x 8’. My 3 seat settee is 3’ x 7’. My double bed is 8’ x 6’. I also have a coat room 8’ x 4’. A closet 8’ x  6’ and a drying cabinet 3’ x 3’ because my flat IS connected to the District Heating Scheme. I also have radiators in all of the main rooms including the hallway.

The top photograph is a view of the front of the two houses looking towards the living room. The middle photo is a look inside the living room space, while the bottom photo is a view inside the back of the house from the proposed kitchen. The only door into the property is on the left.

Video: 15 June 2011

It was raining on this occasion! This is the latest film of the Stonebridge Park Estate; the video begins on Eastham Close Road, then Eastham Close, Dennet Close bottom-row, Dennet Close top-row. We then look at the Fairholm Court site, views around Rocket Park, then onto the top of Magson Close and the Long Hedge area, and finally the bottom of Magson Close behind the Coop.
   

For more information about what appear to be planning defects see the latest Eastham Close 15 June Blog Page.

Noticeable changes can be seen on Rocket Park where work has begun to level the grassed area and make the site more accessible, all of the trees remain in place.

The proposed road which appears on the new Master Plan (2010) running along the rear of the Fairholm Court railings and round into Farers Walk will not now happen as there is no money to pay for this feature.

Long Hedge Site: 15 June 2011

Many of the new houses on this site have roofs on and appear to be nearing completion as far as their external appearance is concerned. I did notice new walls and steps have been put in place at the rear of the properties on the upper row. These houses stand tall and look quite grand in there appearance.

There are no views this month from inside this site as the properties are very difficult to see through the wire mesh security fencing, I’ll try to obtain some images in the next 14 days. 

Magson Close behind Coop: 15 June

The site continues to be worked on every day to put in place the new foundations for what will be St Matthias Apartments, the Alcester pub stands proud at the top of this site, and I could not help notice The Albany Centre over the road. This is named after The Albany Works, formerly Wrights & Dobson’s, demolished in 2003.

Rocket Park: 15 June 2011

Railings were put up surrounding Rocket Park in late May and work began this month. A JCB and an excavator moved in and bulldozed the grass banks to landscape the site to form a more level playing field. All of the trees remain standing except one which was cut down, The site looks strange with its new hard core base laid down, yet when the area is grassed over again it will be much improved. New children’s & adult play equipment will be added later.

These are the latest Photographs of Rocket Park taken on 14 June.

Video: St Ann’s 1969 Pt 4

The is the final film of the series.

Video: St Ann’s 1969 Pt 3

Part three begins at the local Porn shop, and then Ken Coates & Richard Silburn talk about the meaning of poverty for St Ann’s locals. The film then moves on to show Blue Bell Hill Schools. Ken Coates & Richard Silburn conclude this section with a short discussion on the need for cheap family houses so that people can afford the pay the rents.

Video: St Ann’s 1969 Pt 2

The main industry was Nottingham Lace, women either sat together in groups picking the threads from ribbons of lace fabric, or individually in their own home, but the pay for this type of work was appalling. As this film shows some women worked very long hours to gain enough bread money to live on. It also shows a second hand shop, many locals visited these places to save money on clothes and shoes for their school children. My friend Lorraine Crofts grew up with their parents who ran a second hand shop in St Ann’s Well Road, and later had a similar shop in Arkwright Street, in The Meadows, Nottingham.

Video: St Ann’s 1969 Pt 1

Introduced by broadcaster Ray Gosling this film shows Old St Ann’s just prior to the slum clearance programme of the early 1970s. It is an interesting film because it focuses just on the poverty of our Nottingham inner city area. At this time St Ann’s was a large town with 10,000 inhabitants living in Victorian terrace houses. 350 shops lined St Ann’s Well Road with more than 22 public houses, several churches, and community facilities.

Dennet Close bottom row: 15 June 2011

Work is progressing well on this row of houses, and already the upper bedrooms are being constructed. They remind me of a row of Victorian terrace houses that once dominated old St Ann’s, and a look across what will be their back yards makes ones stomach churn. I do hope that these back yards will be far better then the deplorable forecourts of the old block of flats that once sat here !