A deteriorated and ageing shop parade in Mansfield has been torn down to make way for new homes and a green community space.

The enhanced outdoor space and 13 of the wider 22 energy-efficient homes for the project, will be built on the flattened site in the Bellamy estate, which dates back to the late 1960s. The former shop owner in the parade has now moved into and taken over the three newly built shopping units on the estate.

It is part of Mansfield District Council’s £7.7m housing-led regeneration scheme for the area. As well as the new homes and community space, a new through road to better connect the area is also in the pipeline.

Mayor Andy Abrahams; the portfolio holder for Housing, Coun Anne Callaghan; and council chief executive James Biddlestone were joined at the demolition site by Mansfield MP Steve Yemm, who joined council officers to learn more about the regeneration project, and other social housing schemes the council is leading across the district.

Works for the overall scheme are anticipated to be completed by autumn this year.

Coun Callaghan said: “It is a momentous occasion to celebrate this ageing shopping area in the heart of the Bellamy estate being demolished to make way for a new generation of homes and green space.

“We know how important it is for residents to enjoy the areas in which they live and to have pride of place in them. By removing this eyesore and giving the estate new eco-friendly homes, new shopping units, and a community green space, we are ensuring the estate, and its residents can thrive for years to come.”

The council’s in-house architects designed the 22 new homes on the site in line with the Future Homes Standard. This requires new homes to have low-carbon heating and high energy efficiency, resulting in lower carbon dioxide emissions than properties built to current building regulations.

The homes, which will be available for council tenants on the housing waiting list, will include three four-bedroom semi-detached houses, eight three-bedroom semi-detached houses, nine two-bedroom semi-detached houses, and two two-bedroom detached houses. The first tenants are expected to move into the first phase of homes completed from April .

The Bellamy regeneration scheme has been made possible by capital investment from the council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The HRA is made up of tenant rents and must be used to build more homes as well as maintaining the housing stock across the district.

The estates regeneration began more than two years ago with the installation of a new play park and learn-to-ride cycle track for children, both of which opened in early 2023.