Anger over estate project

A heavily publicised scheme introduced to revitalise Stafford’s Silkmore estate has been abandoned, according to a leading borough councillor.

In 2004 an investment of £760,000 was made in the area as part of the HomeZone scheme.

Road improvements on the Silkmore estate in Stafford, included giant planters filled with shrubs, plants and flowers and traffic calming measures.

But since the original county council investment was unveiled local people claim the scheme has been ignored.

The project saw youngsters from Silkmore Primary School joining in the planting and county highways bosses working with the Silkmore Residents Association to implement traffic calming and 20 mph zones. The improvements also included landscaping, street parking for residents, a play area and a youth shelter.

The plan used £560,000 of Government cash, with £200,000 from Stafford Borough Council.

Councillor Tony Pearce, of Highfields and Western Downs ward has now asked the Housing Scrutiny Committee to consider the matter.

He said: “The Home Zone project in the Silkmore area was created partially with the regeneration provided by the council’s housing investment in the area. It is now in a pitiful state , with no-one accepting responsibility for it’s ongoing maintenance.

” Not everything is dying, the weeds are growing in abundance, but it seems once the initial investment was made all parties have turned their back on the area.”