St Ann's, Nottingham

St. Ann's is a large urban area of Nottingham, UK, with a population of around 13,000 people.

History

The area was originally common land. The Enclosure Act of 1845 allowed the city to take 1,068 acres (4.3 km²) of the Clay fields. The idea was to ease the overcrowding in the St. Mary's ward, brought about by the boom in lace making. There was some industry and occupation before this time - brown earthenware such as Toby jugs, christening bowls, and punch bowls were made as early as the 1750s by Charles Morley, but it was almost another century before St. Ann's proper was created.

The area was not just given over to slums to rehouse the lower classes. Although 10,000 standard back to back terraced houses were created, these were a great improvement on dwellings common elsewhere in the city at the time. A Lunatic asylum, parks, and a water reservoir were also built, the latter affording a panoramic view of Nottingham. There were even plans for an astronomical observatory. For the well off - doctors, solicitors, and factory owners - there was a grand tree lined recreation walk lined with larger houses. Twenty-five Public houses, plus the later addition of a London and North-eastern urban railway link, horse drawn and then electric trams, and three cinemas, helps complete the picture of a thriving area.

In 1969, the area was looking impoverished, with many of the shops and houses 100 years old or more. A local Housing Act raised legal standards for houses being 'fit for human habitation'. Clearance of some of the land began in December of that year, although building of new houses didn't start until 1973 and continued into the 1980s. However, the open plan layout with interlocking footpaths, coupled with poor street lighting, actually brought about an increase in crime. This renovation included the relocation of many residents to The Meadows area of the city, which has contributed to some of the gang related crimes (see below) in the city.

The 1970s and 1980s layout of St Ann's was a relatively rare layout of that era, with Kates Hill some 60 miles away in Dudley being a comparable example. The preponderance of alleyways has also made it harder for police to catch criminals, particularly those on motorcycles. The area has also been used as a dumping ground for stolen cars.

t Ann's Today

In recent times, it has become known for its cheap houses and low GCSE results, making it into the top 10 worst places to live in Britain. Mark Kelly and Junior Andrews were convicted of the murder of Danielle Beccan [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/3733384.stm] in October 2005 and sentenced to life imprisonment, with the trial judge recommending that they should both serve at least 32 years before being considered for parole. This was the longest recommended minimum prison term in England and Wales ever to have been issued to someone guilty of a single murder. Kelly and Andrews were subsequently granted leave to appeal against their convictions. The murder drew attention to the ongoing gun and drug war between St Ann's and The Meadows, another inner-city Nottingham estate.

Initiatives are in place to rejuvenate the area, with building projects already under way (2005). These range from blocking off the small alleyways used by criminal elements as escape routes, to plans to demolish certain areas completely. Only time will tell if this proves successful: a similar initiative was introduced in the 1990s to combat the burglaries and vandalism of the 1980s with brighter street lighting and other security measures. Nottingham film-maker Shane Meadows filmed much of "This Is England" in St. Ann's.

[http://www.stonebridgecityfarm.com/ Stonebridge City Farm] , created in 1982, allows school children to experience a small working farm with real animals in the heart of the city, and which holds [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/image_galleries/stonebridge_farm_open_day_gallery.shtml open days] and fetes for the local community.

Allotments

The St. Ann's Allotments is the oldest and largest allotment site in England, created in the 1830s and now Grade 2* listed as being of "Special Historic Interest".

The allotments were recently granted £5 million of National Lottery funding for restoration, and were featured on the BBC's "The One Show".

Churches

See St. Ann with Emmanuel, Nottingham

Transport

* Nottingham City Transport

* 40: Nottingham - St Anns - Sherwood - City Hospital
* 41, 42: Nottingham - St Anns

* Premiere Travel

* S19: St Anns - Hyson Green

External links

* [http://www.staa-allotments.org.uk/ STAA - St. Ann's Allotments]
* [http://www.stonebridgecityfarm.com/ Stonebridge City Farm]
* [http://www.community-ict.org.uk WEA AREA 6 ICT Community education project]
* [http://www.ecoworks.org.uk Ecoworks - community organisation based on St Ann's Allotments]

References

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