Bestwood Estate

Bestwood

Andover Road in winter
Bestwood
Bestwood shown within Nottinghamshire
Population 4,719 
OS grid reference SK 55963 44545
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NOTTINGHAM
Postcode district NG5
Dialling code 0115
Police Nottinghamshire
Fire Nottinghamshire
Ambulance East Midlands
EU Parliament East Midlands
UK Parliament

Bestwood Estate is a large council estate located to the north of the city of Nottingham, England. Based on the 2011 census, its population is 4,719. There is also a ward of the City of Nottingham called Bestwood, which at the time of the 2011 census had a population of 16,753.[1]

Origins and early years

Construction was commenced in the 1930s and by 1938 some of the roads had been established including Andover Road, Gainsford Crescent and Landcroft Crescent. Work was interrupted by World War II, after which the bulk of the housing stock was constructed. Most of the houses are constructed with similar layouts. They are generally semi-detached buildings or town houses. The first decades saw a generally working class population in residence.

1980s–1990s

Under Margaret Thatcher's Right to Buy policy, a modest proportion of council tenants chose to purchase their rented property at hugely discounted prices. The majority of the housing stock remained in council ownership. The demographic of the inhabitants noticeably altered since the estate's early years. The estate increasingly housed young families with high levels of unemployment.

Recent years

The decline of Bestwood Estate continued, with increasing crime levels. Policing the area became difficult as a small number of local families established a grip on it. Most prominent amongst these was the extended Gunn family. Supported by the proceeds of crime and drug-dealing, the Gunns gained notoriety for their ruthlessness. A number of highly publicised murders[2] eventually led to the arrest and imprisonment of some members of the family.[3] These people were described as the Bestwood Cartel and the Godfathers of Nottingham gang crime.[4] Bestwood Estate earned an enduring and strongly negative reputation as a centre of crime, intimidation and anti-social behaviour. Violent crime and theft remain a problem.[5]

Bus services

Nottingham City Transport

■ 15: Nottingham → Nottingham College, Clarendon campus → Hucknall Road → City Hospital → Bestwood → Top Valley → Rise Park[6]

■ 16: Nottingham → Nottingham College, Clarendon campus → Hucknall Road → City Hospital → Bestwood → Top Valley → Rise Park[7]

■ 16C: Nottingham → Nottingham College, Clarendon campus → Hucknall Road → City Hospital → Bestwood → Top Valley → Rise Park → Brownlow Drive[8]

Silverdale Tours

■ S20: Top Valley → Bestwood Park → Bestwood[9]

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "City of Nottingham ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "Crime in Nottingham - Colin Gunn and Bestwood Cartel | Nottingham Post". Thisisnottingham.co.uk. 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  3. ↑ Summers, Chris (2007-08-02). "Revenge plot saga reaches final act". BBC News. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  4. ↑ "Brief history of Gunn Crime - Nottingham Culture". LeftLion.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  5. ↑ "'Gangsters ran our estate better than the police'". Dailymail.co.uk. 2007-06-03. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  6. ↑ "Service 15 on Brown Line". www.nctx.co.uk.
  7. ↑ "Service 16 on Brown Line". www.nctx.co.uk.
  8. ↑ "Service 16C on Brown Line". www.nctx.co.uk.
  9. ↑ "Shoplink service S20 ran by Silverdale Tours" (PDF). www.silverdaletours.co.uk.
  10. ↑ Oliver, Mark (13 January 2004). "Portrait of a necrophiliac". The Guardian.
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