More than 100 new homes on an historic city route will help restore a part of Nottingham to its former glory.
Work to develop 111 new homes for sale by Keepmoat Homes on Blackstone Walk and Arkwright Walk, formerly known as Arkwright Street, in the Meadows started this week.
The development is part of Nottingham City Council’s wider £18m regeneration project for the area, which was once a key route linking Nottingham Railway Station to the City Ground.
‘Arky’ – as residents knew it – was once a celebrated shopping area and a major road into the city before it closed to traffic in the early 1970s.
It was lined with boarded-up houses and empty businesses for years, before they were demolished last year to make way for the new housing thanks to efforts from the City Council and Keepmoat Homes.
Plans for the development include Keepmoat Homes building a mix of 77, two, three and four bed houses as well as 34 two bed flats along Arkwright Walk and Blackstone Walk.
The project also means the north of Arkwright Walk has once again been connected with the south.
To make way for the development, 146 properties, including a large number of flats in Arkwright Walk, Blackstone Walk and Manifold Gardens have been demolished.
Consultation with local residents and tenants showed support for the development, which will see the old flats replaced with good quality homes at affordable prices.
Andy Mason, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Homes East Midlands, said: “We are incredibly experienced in delivering major mixed tenure developments and the new scheme on Arkwright Walk in The Meadows is the next step in our ambitious growth plans, which have included opening a new office at the Nottingham Business Park, as part of our commitment to the local area.
“We are working in close partnership with both the local community and Nottingham City Council to build homes for families and first-time buyers. Crucial to this project has been the strong community spirit in The Meadows, resulting in strong resident involvement in the design and a desire from all involved to see the area benefit from well-designed new homes, whilst bringing Arkwright Walk back to life and recreating the vibrancy of the old Arkwright Street.
“We will work hard to bring real social value and leave a lasting legacy from our work in The Meadows, ensuring the development will create not just new homes, but new jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities for the duration of the build and beyond. We have already appointed two local apprentices, who will gain their qualifications and start their construction careers in bricklaying and joinery, and will be seeking further opportunities to deliver further local jobs throughout the life of the development.”
Councillor Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Housing and Heritage, said: “The redevelopment of Arkwright Walk is part of the City Council’s ambition to not just build new houses, but to build neighbourhoods and communities in an area of the city that has been in need of redevelopment for some time.
“The preparatory work to open up Arkwright Walk again is a welcome return and a respectful nod to the past, and these new homes are a commitment to the future of not just the Meadows area but the city too. I’m looking forward to the progress of this scheme and the changes it will bring to the area.”
The development is due to be completed by May 2020.
