One of the biggest housing regeneration projects in the city for decades has been completed in Lenton by Nottingham City Council and Nottingham City Homes.
Over four years of development has seen the area completely transformed, with five tower blocks demolished to make way for 142 homes, including bungalows, flats, family homes and an award-winning independent living scheme which enables older residents to stay in their community as they age.
The centre of the new neighbourhood features a green corridor – a place for wildlife and nature to thrive, and for residents to relax.
Lenton has been the flagship project in the City Council’s Building a Better Nottingham programme, which has completed 411 new social housing properties on sites around the city, with more in progress or planned.
The outdated tower blocks, which had stood since the sixties, were demolished, transforming the skyline of the city – but they won’t be forgotten. A memory of them is preserved in the site, in the shape of a sculpture, crafted out of a tree removed from the site.
Cllr Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Housing and Heritage at Nottingham City Council, said: “We are transforming neighborhoods across the city, and creating a variety of quality homes, which, not only suit the differing needs of our citizens, but which are energy efficient, secure and warm.
“Lenton is a prime example of how we are not just building new homes, but completely transforming areas of the city. The flats were iconic and synonymous with the area, so it’s a big change for Lenton – but a positive change, providing modern homes and creating places where people want to live.”
The works were managed and overseen by city’s Arm’s Length Organisation (ALMO) Nottingham City Homes (NCH), who also manage the city’s council housing and recently won three accolades at the prestigious UK Housing Awards, including Landlord of the Year.
Nick Murphy, Chief Executive of Nottingham City Homes, said: “Lenton Gardens is the biggest programme we have worked on so far, and is possibly the most iconic development due to the dramatic change we have made to the skyline and the transformation we’ve seen, both physically in the regeneration of the area, and in the make-up of the community.
“We believe in the value of social housing, and we know what having a decent home means to our residents. We want to realise our vision of creating homes and places where people want to live. The design of the new homes and the environment we have built at Lenton Gardens are an inspiration as to what social housing can be like – providing an asset now and for future generations.”
Work continues on Church Square in Lenton, to build another 17 affordable rented homes, with a number of other sites across the city also actively transforming neighbourhoods.
For more information on the city’s Building a Better Nottingham programme, please visit:
https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/building-a-better-nottingham/