£1.8m boost for Upton estate
Regeneration of the Upton Heath Estate has been in the pipeline for four years and councillors on Purbeck District Council's planning board have agreed unanimously to a raft of measures that should give the area a new lease of life.
Improvements including new play equipment, lighting and the installation of CCTV will all help to combat the anti-social behaviour that has affected the estate.
On the north east edge of the town, the estate was built in the mid 1960s and is home to around 340 people in a wide age range.
The 85 homes are a mixture of private and housing association properties and were built with an expected life span of only 20 years. In the early 1990s a refurbishment of the public space was carried out which improved conditions then, but the estate has again become tired and run down.
The measures agreed by PDC have been developed following extensive public consultation with the project led by a steering group comprising of Purbeck Housing Trust, PDC, Lytchett Minster and Upton Town Council, the Upton Heath Residents Association and the police.
The main concern of residents has been the fear of crime and personal safety and it is hoped improvements to lighting and nine CCTV cameras on six metre high masts will prevent this.
There have also been concerns over lack of parking and problems with the existing flat roofed garages which will now be demolished and replaced with pitched roof buildings. An additional 28 car parking spaces will be provided, bring the total number to 92.
The three children's play areas which are outdated and in poor condition are to be replaced with modern equipped and surfaced areas. There will also be a multi-use games area which will provide sports facilities for older children, teenagers and adults. This will have an artificial playing surface and be surrounded by a three metre high steel mesh fence and illuminated by four floodlights which will be switched off at 9pm.
There will also be a new three-metre wide cycle and footpath along the northern side of the estate to connect with Upton Community Woodlands cycle path.
The landscaping is also to be improved.
Upton Councillor Fred Drane who has been pushing for the regeneration scheme said: "This is excellent news. The people living on the estate need some recognition and help and this will help to bring about a greater sense of community.
"The estate is congested with so many homes so close together and narrow roads. The loss of children's play facilities was a blow with young people roaming around looking for something to do. The garages were in a terrible state and this added to people's discomfort."
He added: "I have great faith in the people there and believe that the regeneration scheme will revive goodwill and make the estate more homely and successful."
Liz Turner
lturner@bvmedia.co.uk
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