'Abandoned' community cries out for improvements

Rufia Ashraf, a Labour councillor, believes the council does not think Kings Heath deserves investment

People in a deprived area described as "abandoned" and "neglected" have called on their local council to improve it.

Kings Heath in Northampton has seen many of its shops boarded up for years and support services have been reduced.

One councillor said there was "nothing for the young people [and] nothing for the elderly".

West Northamptonshire Council said it was committed to delivering "meaningful improvements that make a real difference to people's lives".

Kings Heath was listed as one of the 225 "left-behind" areas in 2022

Kings Heath, three miles from Northampton town centre, was listed as one of 225 "left behind" areas in a study commissioned by a group of MPs in 2022.

In 2023, it was reported to be the district with the lowest average household income in Northampton.

The large concrete precinct in the centre of Kings Heath, known as Park Square, is perhaps the most obvious symbol of the area's decline.

Many of the shops served their last customers many years ago and the supermarket, pharmacy and toy library are surrounded by empty units.

Most of the shops in Park Square are empty - the few that remain include a pharmacy, supermarket and toy library

Rufia Ashraf, a Labour councillor for the area, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "There's nothing for the young people, nothing for the elderly.

"We need a hub where the community can come together. I feel they've been neglected and abandoned because they're 'not important enough'.

"How dare the council not acknowledge them and feel they're worth the investment."

Heather Brakes from the toy library said the powers that be had "written off" Kings Heath

Heather Brakes, a long-term volunteer at the County Toy Library on Park Square, said: "They don't want to know this area – they've written it off. People come and chat to us because there's nowhere else to go."

She believes residents want a drop-in centre with a community cafe, a warm space for the elderly and activities for young people."

St Augustine's Church in Kings Heath has been closed for 17 years but there are long-term plans to reopen it

A support centre run by Free 2 Talk in Park Square was forced to close temporarily before Christmas because there were safety concerns with the building.

Free 2 Talk said: "This has meant a reduction in young people attending our groups.

"We hope to reopen this space and support activities from the Children's Centre when this is reopened."

West Northamptonshire Council said its Well Northants programme had invested more than £29,000 in grants to groups that support residents in Kings Heath.

It added that it had allocated funding to help Free 2 Talk seek an alternative venue.

The Conservative-run authority said it had invested £140,000 in the last year on several projects, including work to bring the Sure Start Centre back into use, and there was a long-term plan to revitalise Park Square.