Blackbird Leys

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Blackbird Leys is a ward located on the south-eastern outskirts of Oxford, England and is one of the largest council estates in Europe. According to the 2001 census, the ward had a population of 5,803.^[1] Unusually, the area constitutes a civil parish, created in 1990; the 2001 parish headcount was 12,196.^[2]

1 Origin
2 Community
3 Politics
4 Transport
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Origin

Archaeology has revealed this site as one of Oxford's earliest settlements, dating it from between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Evidence suggesting pits and roundhouses, with remains of pottery and a cylindrical loom weight of a kind previously known only from East Anglia.^[3]

Modern day Blackbird Leys was built mainly in the 1950s and 60s to meet the then pressing need for accommodation. It was part of a plan to re-house people from the dilapidated inner city. This included large scale clearance of a site near to where the Oxford Ice Rink is currently located (The Oxpens). Many of the families that moved onto the estate originally came from this area. It was also a convenient site for factory workers at the Morris Motor Company plant in nearby Cowley.

[edit] Community

Ethnically the population is made up principally of Afro-Caribbeans and whites. Little racial tension is evident. Although riots were reported in the 1980s and early 1990s, these were not on the scale seen elsewhere in the UK at that time, for example in St Pauls, Toxteth and Brixton. The Blackbird Leys riots were not considered to be 'race riots' but related to opposition to the policing of the estate.

Around this time, Blackbird Leys was famous for its joy riding. Young men from the estate would steal fast cars and 'display' them (with a variety of high-speed stunts) to an audience gathered outside the estate shops (top shops), eventually gaining worldwide media attention. Andrew Smith stated in 1991 that the extensive national media coverage of confrontations with the police in August and September left many of the wider public with a distorted picture of the problem.^[4]. Some say journalists visiting helped encourage some of the action for filming. Various measures were brought in by the local council and police to stop the displays. Police often found it difficult to catch joy riders, whose stolen cars were faster than the police vehicles, though eventually a faster police car was introduced. Chicanes were built around the shops area, and an anti-skid surface applied to the road, making it difficult to execute handbrake turns and other stunts. Greater Leys (the newest parts of the Blackbird Leys estate) was specifically designed to minimise the number of roads entering the estate, making it easier to prevent drivers from escaping.

On one scale Blackbird Leys is in the 10% most deprived areas in England.^[5] It has major social problems. These focus on unemployment (the rate is 10%, which is significantly higher than the 4% of the rest of Oxfordshire); and on crime, in the form of drug abuse, street crime, and anti-social behaviour.

Most residents have the general levels of poor health associated with low socio-economic status, including a significantly higher mortality rate than is seen in any other area of Oxford. There is a sense of community between the long-term residents who frequent the local venues with theatre and dances created within the community.

In 2006 residents from the estate took part in The Singing Estate, a Channel Five reality TV show following their progress from amateur singers to classical choir.^[6] The Blackbird Leys Choir emerged from the original choir and continues today; just one of the community groups thriving on the estate.

The Bullnose Morris pub,in Blackbird leys,is believed to be the only one named after a car.

[edit] Politics

The area has traditionally been staunchly Labour but the Independent Working Class Association now now holds two of the four local seats on Oxford City Council. Local MP Andrew Smith lives on the estate with his wife, who is one of the City Councillors and County Councillors for the area.