Thanet district Council press release.
Plans to redevelop one part of Newington have taken a major step forward with a formal decision to redevelop the site.
Cabinet Members were last night (Thursday 4 December) told that the scheme for the Centre at Newington will help to tackle anti-social behaviour by redeveloping the housing and shopping facilities there. The work will be carried out by Town and Country Housing, one of the council’s preferred partner Registered Social Landlords.
The current proposals are to demolish the Centre and replace it with a mixed scheme of new houses of various sizes and six flats, which meet the needs of the community. There is also the possibility of including a medical centre.
Residents are being kept updated with progress on the plans, with the most recent event held in November, which covered the estimated timescales for development, how tenants would be moved out and what housing choices they would have.
Cllr. Zita Wiltshire, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “This is an important project, as we know that there are problems at the Centre in Newington and much of that is down to the design of the buildings. Things have changed since they were constructed in the 1960s and they are now attracting anti-social behaviour, which we are determined to put a stop to. This scheme will help to redevelop the area with the sort of homes and facilities that the community needs.”
A planning application is expected in spring 2009
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Very... interesting. I wonder if this will work? Have similar things been done before?
ReplyDeleteIt bothers me that in a high density populated area more flats are the answer - that seems counter to the expected.
Matt I have to admit to being a bit miffed myself, I had assumed that there would be money available from central government or the EEC to produce some sort of development here that would address the social problems and be of benefit to the community.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest with you I haven’t been to Newington for years and don’t know what its problems are like, but would assume they are like most places made much worse by a lack of leisure facilities especially for young people.
When I was a youth living in Ramsgate there was plenty for us to do and now there is a lot less, I am always surprised that problems of social order aren’t even worse than they are.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteI have only just seen this.
This was first mooted by Richard Nicholson and Myself about three years ago. The Centre as it is attracts all sorts of undesirables due to the design of the place. It is a labrynth of hidy holes and a paradise for those who wish to escape notice while up to no good.
Tenants have been involved from day one and helped choose the new design and the developer. There are only six flats proposed the rest will be houses of differing sizes and the layout will be completly different involving realigning the Centre roundabout as well as the adjoining roads. The Police Architect has also been involved in an attempt to design out the possibility of creating another potential crime area. The whole area will become more open and welcoming. Existing Residents will be decanted to other accommodations for the duration of construction. A start has alrady been made with the demolition of the garages and the building of new, much needed social houses for rent in that area.
Further action by Residents of Newington to take control of their future can be seen by the taking over of the Community Centre from the Council by the Residents Association who have spent much money, time and effort in refurbishing and promoting the Community Centre and have appointed a full time Manager to run the Centre. Much positive stuff is happening in Newington at the moment despite the negative perception of the area that persists, as Matt will agree the area like Milmead is nowhere near as bad as it is portrayed in some sections of the press and Blogging community.
http://www.nca02.org/