In 2018, councillors approved a budget to pay for improvements to our housing estates. The budget was £1 million per year for five years.
The resulting Estate Improvement Scheme funded hundreds of improvements, including:
- new secure storage for bikes and mobility scooters at Lichfield Road, to improve safety in communal areas
- a new surface for the Augustus Close and Minerva Way car park, to improve safety and aesthetics
- new enclosures under stairwells and crofts in Bill Briggs Court and the East Road estate, which had attracted antisocial behaviour
- replacement fences across the city, to better define boundaries, reduce antisocial behaviour and improve aesthetics
- new resident-only access gates to the upper floors of the Kingsway flats, to increase security and reduce antisocial behaviour
- new pathway surfaces at sheltered housing schemes across the city, to remove trip hazards caused by cracks and root damage
Our Estate Improvement Scheme 2022/23 progress report [PDF, 2.5MB] details many typical projects.
Residents suggested the improvements, as well as local councillors, the police, and us. Projects had to meet at least one of the following objectives.
- Reduce crime or antisocial behaviour
- Make a visible and positive difference to the aesthetics of the estate
- Contribute to strengthening the estate community
- Improve residents’ health, safety or wellbeing
- Spend money now to save money later
They also had to meet two fundamental principles. Projects had to:
- add value to the estate – we will not pay for temporary changes such as new foliage
- not act as a substitute for planned maintenance work, which we pay for and implement separately
