Partner Article

New community hub unveiled as part of £14.3 million investment

A social landlord’s £14.3 million investment to regenerate a community in Salford is celebrating the latest stage of completion with the unveiling of a new community centre.

As part of City West Housing Trust’s regeneration project at Barton Village in Eccles, the landlord officially opened its Community Hub to local residents with a ceremony at the Cawdor tower block on Wednesday, September 24, 2014.

The completion of the £360,000 community centre signifies the end of the latest stage of work to the four tower blocks that make up Barton Village – representing £14.3 million of the landlord’s overall investment.

City West’s Chief Executive Tim Doyle officially unveiled the Hub to residents.

Tim said: “We are committed to improving communities across Salford and this scheme perfectly highlights how we are doing that.

“The Hub provides a focal point for the community, where they can go to meet for a coffee, attend a local event and receive essential support and advice all under one roof.”

With many of the residents at Barton Village of non-working ages, City West’s Community Hub is designed to improve well-being and strengthen community links for residents.

The centre will provide Eccles residents with IT facilities, a new library, café, branches of the police and Citizens Advice Bureau, and an area for local community groups to use.

Dorothy Parr, a 74-year-old resident living in the Engels tower block in Barton Village, successfully runs the Barton Village Ladies Club and is already planning to take advantage of the new facilities.

Dorothy said: “We’re a very close-knit community, so it’s important that we have somewhere to bring everyone together.

“Thanks to City West, we now have a great-looking place where everyone can meet up and find out what’s happening in the area – I can’t wait for the Barton Village Ladies to use the Community Hub.”

The regeneration of Barton Village is part of City West’s £54.3 million investment to refurbish 12 tower blocks across Eccles. The programme began in 2010 and work on all blocks set to finish in 2016.

The investment sees the blocks transformed inside and out with energy-efficient measures including exterior cladding and new heating systems alongside improvements to kitchens and bathrooms.

The next stage of City West’s high-rise improvement programme has now begun, and see’s the landlord invest £5 million in refurbishing the Southway tower block in the centre of Eccles.

Work will be carried out by contractors Forrest, and is set to be completed in October 2015.

Tim Doyle added: “Since City West was first established in 2008, we have invested over £235 million to bring all of our properties up to the decent homes standard – but we haven’t stopped there.

“Our high-rise programme – along with our £60 million Big Pledge to improve the environment and facilities in our neighbourhoods – show how we are committed to transforming the lives of our customers and making our communities happy and sustainable places to live.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard .