Progress at last on the city’s ‘forgotten estate’
A LEICESTER estate plagued by fly-tippers, drug addicts and vandals is to be brought back into use in a multi-million pound project.
Hospital Close in Evington was home to NHS workers and their families until 2019, when University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust decided it could not afford to upgrade the homes to modern standards.
Eviction notices were issued to hospital staff and health workers living in the premises.
But as people moved out, the area became a hot spot for fly-tippers, drug addicts and vandals and the few residents who remained said they no longer felt safe in their homes.
A 38-year-old mum told the Mercury in August: “We are the forgotten residents of Hospital Close.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on and we’re not feeling very safe in our properties right now. It’s just become an environment for everyone who thinks there’s no residents on the street.
“The other night we had people smashing up the empty properties, late at night.”
But now changes are in sight, with Leicester City Council having bought the close from the NHS Trust in April for £10.5 million and pledging to spend up to £4 million to bring it back into use.
It said it was “committed to the redevelopment and regeneration of Hospital Close” and would do everything possible to “support residents while redevelopment work is carried out, to minimise disruption and improve things in the area”.
Leicester City Council’s Housing Scrutiny Committee heard a report this week about the progress being made.
Council workers have already undertaken initial work to clear out the abandoned properties and have made efforts to remove the graffiti in preparation for the area’s redevelopment.
The council said it has also arranged for 24-hour security on the site to deter anti-social behaviour and a maintenance schedule is being drawn up, though the battle against fly-tipping is said to be ongoing.
The council hopes to bring Hospital Close back into full use as quickly as possible, and has set out a two phase plan for achieving it.
Phase one will focus on renovating the 38 semi-detached houses on the estate.
And phase two will see the blocks of flats which were once home to nurses brought back into use.