By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
A council house on a deprived housing estate could be transformed into a community centre.
Newark and Sherwood District Council is looking to convert the property on Manvers View in Boughton to improve residents’ wellbeing, make them feel safer and reduce crime.
The Retford Road estate is among the 10 per cent most deprived areas of the country according to the income deprivation scale.
The proposed centre will provide a base for police, housing teams, the NHS, Citizens Advice Bureau and others on the estate.
Residents from the estate will be able to drop in between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
There could also be family activities and meetings held on weekends and evenings on an ad hoc basis.
Planning documents say: “The hub will provide a base for initiatives to grow, to tackle local issues in partnership with the police, ommunity safety teams, Housing Services and Waste Management, NHS, Credit Union, CVS, CAB, Inspire and several other agencies.
“The purpose of the hub will be to bring together tenants and residents in one place to provide one voice to encourage them to become involved in improvements locally.
“The meetings will be provided to hear views, have coffee mornings and some fundraising activities.”
The centre will also encourage educational activities, including online training, with support from local schools and colleges.
The three-bedroom council house would be converted to have a large downstairs meeting room, with private spaces upstairs.
The application also assures local residents that it is unlikely to cause parking problems in the area as there are adjacent parking bays and on-street spaces.
The council has submitted the plans, which will be determined by its officers at a later date.
