Plan to demolish shops could make city food bank homeless

ONE of the last occupiers of an almost abandoned Nottingham shopping parade has warned that demolishing its well-used food bank would be a “smack in the face”.

- By JOSHUA HARTLEY

The Chayah Development Project, which provides food for more than 100 vulnerable people a day in St Ann’s, could be made homeless by a plan to redevelop the mostly empty Robin Hood Chase shopping centre.

Nottingham City Council wants to spend around £3.5 million to rip down the row of shops and build 15 two-bed council houses in its place.

Hyacinth Francis-Watson, CEO of the Chayah Development Project, said that while St Ann’s Advice Centre would be able to bring its food bank next door back into the centre, Chayah would be given a month to leave if councillors approve the project on May 20.

The precinct was earmarked for redevelopment more than a decade ago, but the initial proposals for new council houses were shelved when money ran out after the first two phases of its regeneration were completed in 2012.

The community worker added: "After 2010 they moved me into where I am now, as they knocked down the previous building I used to build the advice centre, a concrete slabbing area that no-one uses.