Background Information
The Holderness Road Corridor has been identified as needing housing market renewal action.
Key Problems in this area include:
- Population decline
- Low levels of economic activity
- Movement across East Hull is hampered by congestion especially along Holderness Road and also HGV movements along Hedon Road/Mount Pleasant
- East Hull has a large amount of semi-detached and terraced housing and council owner properties. This does not meet the modern needs of residents and is therefore not attracting new people to the area
- Low house prices and low demand for these properties
- Structurally deficient non-traditional housing with steel frames prone to rusting
- Low educational attainment and poor perceptions of schoolsPoor quality environment
The Ings Caspons (pictured right)
This ''Caspon'' area, which is part of the Ings Road estate, is made up of 520 council owned dwellings and 298 owner occupied properties built from 1964 onwards. The properties are of timber frame construction and have electric under floor central heating.
Overall, the Ings area has enjoyed a good level of popularity with higher levels of right-to-buy sales. The Caspon houses however, are the lowest demand houses in the area. Structural surveys found the properties to be structurally sound, but identified potential significant long-term maintenance problems relating particularly to thermal efficiency and water ingress. The street and footpath layout of the area also encourages nuisance and vandalism.
The Caspons are located close to an area of good quality housing, which shows the scope for improving the housing market at Ings.
Low rise flats on the estate have proved to be unpopular and boarding up of these units began some eight years ago. Gradually these empty units have become untidy and unsightly thereby affecting the general appearance of the estate. Anti-social behaviour has also increased and tenants have began to leave the estate. The re-letting of property has proved difficult and empty houses have been vandalised. Malicious fires have also been a serious problem.
The Caspon name comes from 'City Architects' and 'Spooner' - the developers of these types of properties, which were built in the mid-1960s.
Independent reports over the years have revealed that they are structurally problematic and would be very expensive in the long term to put right. In addition, residents complain that the under-floor electric heating systems are inefficient and costly.
The layout of the area is generally considered to be an important contributing factor in the increasing levels of crime and anti-social behaviour experienced by residents. The properties themselves are poorly positioned and close together so that they overlook each other. In contrast, the large number of badly lit footpaths running through the area and the inconvenient garages and parking areas, are not in open view and are considered unsafe and havens for vandals.
Preston Road
Preston Road is an area of significant market weakness where Gateway plans to build on the work of PRNDC and provide more variety and choice of housing linked to new employment area in East Hull such as the port.
The award winning Preston Road Neighbourhood Development Company (PRNDC) is a registered charity regenerating the East Hull Estate under a 10 year programme funded by the Government's New Deal for Communities initiative. PRNDC, which marked its halfway point in 2005, is working in conjunction with private, voluntary and public sector partners to improve facilities and lifestyle on the estate. The area was selected after a resident-led partnership, also including paid staff, councillors and other organisations made a bid for funding.
The non traditional 'Wild' houses on the estate were built in the early 1920's. They are built on a framework of steel beams and columns which are hidden in the walls. One of the major problems with these houses is the steel framework rusting which can often lead to problems with the brickwork, cladding and roofs.
