Stockbridge Village
| Stockbridge Village | |
 The Croft, Stockbridge Village |
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  Stockbridge Village |
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| Population | 6,018 (2011) |
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| Metropolitan borough | Knowsley |
| Metropolitan county | Merseyside |
| Region | North West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LIVERPOOL |
| Postcode district | L28 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Knowsley |
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Coordinates: 53°26′09″N 2°51′39″W / 53.4357°N 2.8609°W
Stockbridge Village is a settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 6,018.[1] It was the subject of an article in a special report by The Economist entitled "A new kind of ghetto", which described it a predominantly White area of high unemployment and low aspirations.[2]
History
The district was built in the 1960s as Cantril Farm to rehouse some 15,000 people from inner-city slum clearances, and consisted of mainly council-owned properties which included several high-rise blocks of flats. It was part of a deal to rehouse some 200,000 people from inner-city Liverpool in new residential areas beyond the city's borders, with other families from inner-city Liverpool moving to other overspill places like Leasowe, Huyton, Kirkby, Halewood, Skelmersdale and later, Runcorn New Town.
The land on which Cantril Farm would be built was purchased by Liverpool council in 1961 for a sum of £132,500.
The first homes on the estate were ready for occupation during 1965, but initially the estate lacked facilities such as public transport, health care and shops, these facilities not being provided until a couple of years after the first residents arrived on the estate. Mobile shops were located on the estate until permanent buildings were erected. The first pub on the estate was opened in 1968, around the same time that the first bus routes were established. Subways were also erected to underpass the busiest roads on the estate for pedestrian safety. Small supermarkets were also erected in the late 1960s and the Withens Shopping Centre opened in 1970.
St Jude's Parish Church was opened in 1972 at a cost of £40,000. St Albert's Roman Catholic church opened in 1966, and later on Cantril Farm Methodist Church opened. A second Parish Church, St Brigid's, opened in October 1967.
In the autumn of 1968 two primary schools were opened on the estate - St Albert's and St Brigid's.
Cantril High School was also opened to serve pupils aged 11–16.
A total of nine tower blocks were built in the late 1960s, however 4 have been demolished and the 5 that remain have been refurbished in a multi million pound regeneration project.
However, the estate was in deep decline by 1980. There was a riot on the estate in 1981. By 1982, unemployment on the estate was at 49% among males and 80% among young people. burglary and violent crime were rife on the estate. Shop units were becoming vacant. Household spaces were also becoming vacant as families were wanting to leave the estate and the vacant properties were difficult to let to new tenants. Two school buildings on the estate were wrecked in arson attacks and had to be completely rebuilt. Car theft was a serious problem, as were arson attacks on parked vehicles.
Stockbridge Village Trust Limited was established on 18 February 1983 as a non-profit-making Private Company limited by guarantee. The estate within the Borough of Knowsley, which was owned by the Borough Council, was conveyed to the Trust on 6 April 1983, at the District Valuer’s valuation of £7.42M. This resulted in the Cantril Farm Estate being split, with two-thirds owned by the Trust, and one third owned by Liverpool City Council. The estate was renamed Stockbridge Village.
The estate was plagued by unemployment, car crime, burglaries, rioting and vandalism during the 1980s as it was one of the most hard-hit parts of Liverpool during this era. It has since been regenerated, with most of the housing stock either improved or replaced.
Three of the estate's nine tower blocks were demolished, along with some 600 maisonettes and 340 low-rise flats. The remaining properties were refurbished. The layout of the estate was altered to improve vehicular access. The shopping and recreational areas of the estate were also improved or replaced.
All council properties on the estate were transferred to the Village housing association in 1995.
In 2010 major regeneration work began on Stockbridge Village seeing a number of changes, such as the famous Heat Waves swimming baths being demolished as well as St Dominics school being replaced by a new community centre and two new schools.
Notable people
- Footballer Micky Quinn grew up on the estate and lived there from 1967 until 1986. His father Mick Quinn senior now runs a pub in the area.
- Footballer Ian Bishop was born on the estate. He later played for Everton, Manchester City and West Ham United.
- Former Liverpool striker David Fairclough grew up on the estate after moving there as a child in the 1960s.
- Comedian/actor Craig Charles grew up in the area.
- Musician Paul Rutherford, a member of Frankie Goes to Hollywood (whose "Relax" and "Two Tribes" hits topped the UK charts in 1984), also grew up on the estate after moving there from an inner-city slum area during the 1960s.
- The indie rock band Space wrote the song "Neighbourhood" around the band's own experiences growing up on the Cantril Farm estate.
- Joey McLoughlin, a professional cyclist who won the Milk Race in 1986, grew up on Cantril Farm as the youngest of 10 children.
- Professional footballer and coach Billy Mercer
- Most members of pop band The Farm were from Cantril Farm and named their band in the 1980s as The Farm in honour of the estate.
References
- ↑ "Knowsley Ward population 2011". Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ↑ "A new kind of ghetto". The Economist (London: The Economist Group). 9 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
External links
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