This film is part of Free

Hyson Green, Nottingham

The Hyson Green flats in Nottingham house 2,000 people and are a concrete monument to the planners' dream of streets in the sky

News 1978 8 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for Media Archive for Central England

Overview

In spite of the decay the Hyson Green flats have a community feeling. What is a 'hell-hole' to some, with its problems of vandalism and cheap build quality, is still a home and one worth fighting for. That's exactly what crusading curate Roy Catchpole is trying to do as he counters the somewhat sensationalist stance taken by ATV Today reporter Bev Smith who aims to shock with lurid tales of drugs, prostitution and a body encased in concrete.

Build quality issues plagued the Hyson Green development since its construction in the mid 1960s with residents reporting cracks in walls a few years after moving in. It was built using the Bison pre cast system invented by Concrete Ltd. Demolition commenced in 1987. The site was later taken by an Asda supermarket.