Plans to turn a "bombsite" derelict play area into student housing has been criticised by neighbours, despite concerns over the mess currently on the site. A plan was recently approved for the demolition of the former city council Tennyson Street Play Centre, in the Arboretum, and the construction of ten six-bed student accommodation dwellings.
The redevelopment comprises two short rows of identical three-storey buildings, with a terrace of four buildings fronting on to Tennyson Street and a terrace of six on to Ayr Street. Some people living across the road from the site thought the plans would be detrimental to the area.
Damien Wilcox, 46, who lives on Francis Street, said: "It's a place now where everybody dumps stuff and there are bottles and mess around, it's a bombsite. There are too many students around here though.
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"There's a lot of noise from students and some treat the area badly too. But then if no one else is going to clean it up, then it will stop it being a mess.
"It has been a big loss, it was the only thing like it here. It is a 50/50. I would have preferred a community garden or allotments."
The building had been occupied by a group called 'Communi-T' in 2018 in a bid to prevent the building being sold for student accommodation.
In 2019 a campaign group tried to buy the play centre from Nottingham City Council for just £10 to prevent it becoming student accommodation and put it back in the hands of the community.
Dale, who has lived on Francis Street for four years but did not wish to give his surname, said: "There is broken glass left outside where my kid walks."
He added: "The main problem is parking. I had to put a cone out to keep the space in front of our drive free.
"We need students and for people to be educated but some think they are better than us and mess up the area then leave. The area is going to waste and is awful but they need to think of the after effects of what they build."
But a student living in the area thought the plans would improve the abandoned play centre. Jack Watson, 20, who studies business at Nottingham Trent University and lives on Francis Street, said: "I do not know why people would not want it all gone.
"I don't see why people would be against it, it's a huge mess and people's kids still often play around there. There are smashed windows and we have seen condoms littered on the floor.
"The housing there would improve the look of the area. That's not student mess that is there at the minute."
The plans were revised after going before Nottingham City Council's planning committee on October 20. The current plans were given approval by the city council on April 20.
