A community event is to take place to mark the completion of a £4.8m transformation of Robin Hood Chase in St Ann’s.
A ‘Big Blooming Easter Event’ is being staged on Tuesday 12 April in the new ‘Chase Space’ created by the City Council as part of the redevelopment of the area.
Robin Hood Chase off St Ann’s Well Road had seen a steady decline with under-occupied shops and maisonettes, until plans got underway with the demolition of the old health centre to be replaced with the new St Ann’s Valley joint service centre which opened four years ago, incorporating the library, a number of City Council services, local GP practices, NHS Nottingham City clinics and Nottingham City Homes.
The development carried out by Willmott Dixon has also involved new shop units – with the One Stop supermarket opening last summer and the second of two smaller shops due to open soon – and a new high-quality supported housing scheme owned and managed by Asra Housing Group which opened a year ago and has proved a great success with the residents. It provides 45 apartments for older people and those with disabilities with independent living and support on hand, and communal facilities including a roof terrace.
The new communal space, designed following consultation with the local community, opens up access between the St Ann’s Valley Centre and the community centre, and provides a place for events, markets and space for local people to meet, sit and chat. It features high quality paving and bench seating areas along with a raised stage area, lighting and trees.
The celebration event will take place in the new space from 11am to 2pm and will involve stalls, an Easter Bonnet competition, Easter Egg hunt, arts and crafts, animals from White Post Farm and activities at Emmanuel Church.
City Council leader Councillor Jon Collins, who represents the area, said: “This event celebrates the culmination of a project which has seen a complete transformation of this part of St Ann’s which had become rundown and under-used, into an area with new, modern facilities and a pleasant public space for the people of St Ann’s to enjoy.”
Simon Leadbeater, managing director of Willmott Dixon’s residential construction business in the Midlands and North said: “This is a fantastic project to have worked on and we’ve also found it very rewarding to have delivered tangible benefits to the local community through various activities during the build period. New developments like Wainwright House really do support local prosperity and we are delighted to have worked with Nottingham City Council and Asra Housing Group to deliver this scheme.”