'There's a real buzz:" 'Neglected' Doncaster estate battles back with big transformation plans

Fed-up people living in Clay Lane have launched their own action group, have staged meetings and have drawn up a list of proposoals to help turn around the 1950s built estate between Wheatley and Edenthorpe which has seen a downturn in fortunes in recent years.

Organiser Alex Chadburn, who is one of the people behind The Friends of Clay Lane project, said residents are keen to throw themselves into a series of intiatives to transform the area including community gardens, projects – and an ambitious plan to bulldoze the estate’s derelict club and replace it with a community centre.

A recent meeting to discuss the plans was packed and residents are also planning a scarecrow festival to help restore some pride to the area.

Said Alex: “This is the first time in years the community has come together in a positive way to talk about our estate and what we love about it.

"We have managed to bring external agencies to the table and there’s a real buzz. We want to empower people to stand up and have their voices heard.”

The three key aims of the project are to protect an area known as the Bankings – a strip of grassland between the estate and the railway line which crosses Thorne Road, to create flood defences to protect the Jefferson Avenue and Wilberforce Road area and to demolish the former Explorer Clay Lane Club in Shackleton Road, which has lain derelict for years and has become a frequent target for arsonsists.

Once a haunt of hellraising film star Ollie Reed, in its heyday, the club attracted some of the biggest and best names on the cabaret circuit, hosting a string of top singers, bands and comedians.

The Friends of Clay Lane wants to demolish the building and replace it with a community centre, while there are also plans to create a quiet community garden area on a patch of derelict land at the corner of Thorne Road and Wheatley Hall Road.

More details about the group and its plans can be found HERE