Calls for more investment into 'abandoned' Northampton estate

Councillor Rufia Ashraf has said residents living on the estate have been "neglected and abandoned" over the years.
-Credit:Nadia Lincoln LDRS


Local voices have called on the council to regenerate an 'abandoned' Northampton estate, to help tackle isolation and deprivation in the area.

In Kings Heath, the large concrete square in the centre of the neighbourhood sits quietly, surrounded by the drawn shutters of empty shops. The estate was marked as one of 200 'left behind' neighbourhoods in 2020, as part of a national study into deprived communities.

Rufia Ashraf, a ward councillor for the area, has demanded that West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) do more to revive the estate and create a community hub for residents and isolated people in Kings Heath.

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The authority has said it is 'committed' to delivering "meaningful improvements" in the area by investing in local facilities and grassroots projects. It says it has a long-term vision to restore Park Square as a "thriving community space", with action plans being refreshed for 2025.

Cllr Ashraf told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) : "There’s nothing for the young people, nothing for the elderly. The reason why we have anti-social behaviour and all of those ongoing issues is because it’s been run down and deteriorated.

Many of the shops in the Kings Heath Park Square centre have been closed for years.
Many of the shops in the Kings Heath Park Square centre have been closed for years. -Credit:Nadia Lincoln LDRS

"We need a hub where the community can come together. I feel they’ve been neglected and abandoned because they’re 'not important enough'. How dare the council not acknowledge them and feel they’re worth the investment.

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"We want to see proper infrastructure, we want to have lots of services and bring it back to the community as it was before. Not closed with shutters, uninviting, and lots of issues."

'They don’t want to know this area'

Heather Brakes, a volunteer at The County Toy Library, said that a drop-in centre and warm space was needed for the area.
Heather Brakes, a volunteer at The County Toy Library, said that a drop-in centre and warm space was needed for the area. -Credit:Nadia Lincoln LDRS

Heather Brakes, a long-term volunteer at The County Toy Library on Park Square, said that permanent changes are needed to breathe life back into the neighbourhood. As one of the few shops still left open on the precinct, she said the toy library had watched others around it close one by one, with some units remaining vacant for almost a decade.

Heather explained: "They don’t want to know this area – they’ve written it off. People come and chat to us because there’s nowhere else to go. What they’d really like is a drop-in centre that has a community café, a warm space for the elderly, a parent and toddler centre, more activities for the young kids and somewhere to sit down and chat to people. That’s all they want – they don’t want the earth."

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Community support centre Free 2 Talk, which has a hub in Kings Heath that provides a safe space for young people to meet and talk with trusted adults, agreed that investment is needed in the area.

Councillor Rufia Ashraf, stood in front of the closed down hub for Free2Talk.
Councillor Rufia Ashraf, stood in front of the closed down hub for Free2Talk. -Credit:Nadia Lincoln LDRS

A spokesperson said: "We know from our safeguarding work, that young people feel safe in Kings Heath when they are with friends, family and recognise adults and their neighbours. They also say that they feel safer when Park Square is busier, with adults they know and trust.

"With the rich history and generations of families growing together in Kings Heath this is achievable. The community have consistently said they want places they can meet. We would love to see Park Square open through the day and into the evening for young people and adults- something like an affordable late café. Parents have said they would like tots groups, activities that help them get back to work and somewhere to take their elderly."

The youth support centre in Park Square was forced to close temporarily before Christmas due to safety concerns with the building. Meet-ups with younger children have now been moved into the primary school, but no replacement space has been found for children aged 12 or older, whose sessions have continued outdoors.

Residents have asked for more facilities in Park Square to bring the area back to life as a community hub.
Residents have asked for more facilities in Park Square to bring the area back to life as a community hub. -Credit:Nadia Lincoln LDRS

Free 2 Talk added: "This has meant a reduction in young people attending our groups. We hope to reopen this space and support activities from the Children’s Centre when this is reopened also.

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"Nationally we have seen a 60 per cent fall in funding in the last decade for Youth Work. For every £1 the Government invests, the youth sector generates between £3.20-£6.40 in benefits to communities. This includes a decrease in crime, improved health and increased employment and education and is why Kings Heath is a priority for Free 2 Talk’s Youth Work."

The council has said funding has been allocated to Free 2 Talk to support them in seeking an alternative venue while necessary safety-related works take place on their previous shop front.

Council plans for investments in the community

WNC has said it is making 'significant' investments into Kings Heath with a local partnership group, which includes schools, charities, sports organisations, and the police. Improvements include the delivery of a major project to revitalise the Sure Start Children's Centre, which closed years ago, and restore it as a vital community space.

The Sure Start centre is not currently open.
The Sure Start centre is not currently open. -Credit:Nadia Lincoln LDRS

The authority has stated that over the past year, there has been £140,000 of investment into a range of interventions, including work to bring the children's centre back into use, community cohesion events and grants for charities providing programmes in Kings Heath. Other efforts to rejuvenate the area involve reviewing the lease for the local boxing club, efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour and providing funding for a new tennis table and coaching activities, in partnership with NSport.

Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Planning and Communities at WNC, said: "We are committed to working closely with our partners and the Kings Heath community to deliver meaningful improvements that make a real difference to people’s lives.

“By investing in local facilities, supporting grassroots projects, and strengthening community engagement, we are creating new opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for residents. These initiatives are just the beginning, and we look forward to continuing this important work alongside our local partners.”

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