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Here is the Nottinghamian from Tuesday, January 31.
Hello,
Today's edition of the Nottinghamian takes a look at Nottingham being ranked as the poorest place in the country. It comes as Government data looked into the amount of disposable income households have each year.
We will also take a look at Nottingham City Council putting one of its buildings on the market as well as the creation of studio spaces in Hockley. Plus we take a look back into the history of an iconic Nottingham building.
Poorest city
Nottingham is the poorest place in the country, according to Government data. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has ranked the whole of the UK based on gross disposable household income (GDHI), the amount of money households have after paying tax and receiving benefits, and Nottingham is at the bottom of the list.
In comparison to the UK average of £21,440, Nottingham had the lowest GDHI per head at £13,952. This has increased from £13,147 in 2018 and £13,560 in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic. The GDHI measure is seen to reflect the "material welfare" of the household sector, which includes residents of traditional households, those living in communal establishments and the business income of self-employed people.
Nottingham City Council has claimed the ONS statistics were misleading in previous years. The council previously said a number of factors, including a high student population and small city boundaries that excluded suburbs, made the figures look worse than the reality. Read more here.
On the market
A prime city centre building is set to be put up for sale as Nottingham City Council sells some of its assets. York House on 15-17 King Street, which was home to seafood restaurant Loch Fyne, has been deemed surplus to the authority.
It has recently been taken over by Rosa's Thai, which serves classic Thai dishes and street-food snacks. It comes as the council has commenced a review of its premises within the Property Trading Account. As part of the council's Together for Nottingham Recovery and Improvement Plan Refresh 2022, the authority is considering properties which could be disposed.
A planning document from the council said it considered not selling the building but this was rejected as the property requires "significant capital investment to address outstanding repairs required, and to maximise its potential". Rosa's Thai said the decision will not have an impact on its restaurant.
Weather and trivia
Weather: Another breezy day, with prolonged sunny periods during Wednesday morning, before cloud thickens from the north during the afternoon. Maximum temperature 9 °C.
UV: Low
Further reading: 'Incredibly dedicated' employee to retire after 60 years at Sutton in Ashfield engineering company
Trivia question: In 2005, a section of which road between Nottingham and Derby was named Brian Clough Way?
The answer to today's trivia question is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Notts nostalgia
The Flying Horse Arcade has a long history stretching back to the 13th century and it has only been a shopping arcade since 1989. The Grade II-listed building has 1483 on the front which is the date it was established. It was built on the site of a former house by the Plumtre family when they came to the city in the 13th century.
After it celebrated its 300th birthday, the building became a coaching inn. Stagecoaches could enter at the south parade entrance on Poultry Arcade. By 1791, the house was known as 'The Traveller's Inn'. The hotel underwent structural alterations in 1937 as the demand for accommodation in the city centre skyrocketed. Towards the late 1960s, a public inquiry was held to determine the future of the hotel. Letters to the Post showed that people were concerned it could be demolished.
Trust Houses had expressed an interest in demolishing the hotel to replace it with shops or offices but they then sold it to Grand Metropolitan Hotel for £200,000 with the new owners saying they would like to keep it as a hotel. They also planned to create four restaurants and eight new bars.
The building became part of the Berni Inn chain in the 1980s and was one of the most popular places to go for food and drink in the city. Developers offered the chain money to close the pub in 1988 so it could be made into a shopping arcade, according to an article in the Post. Today, many parts of the original building exist such as the wooden fireplace which can be seen in the 200 Degrees Coffee Shop. There are around 13 different shops within the building. Read more about Flying Horse Arcade here.
Work underway
A social enterprise project is breathing new life into a row of Nottingham shops which have been derelict for more than 30 years by converting them into creative studios. The Howie Smith Project has already restored many of the rooms in the terraced row on Broad Street with a view to opening some next month.
The builders are working to preserve some of the original features of the buildings which were once shops on the busy city centre street. This includes preserving the original windows, staircases, chimney stacks and wooden beams in each room. Each of the new studios is being carefully rebuilt, painted and fitted with a shower and toilet ready to open. The project is set out in stages with the studios being the first phase of the building work.
Dr Robert Howie Smith, director of the Howie Smith Project, said: "They could be an artist studio, recording studio, workshop space or retail space. Whatever the creative enterprise can think of as I'm very open to discussion. The affordable spaces which are in the cultural centre of Hockley and the studio themselves as the first stage of a development that has been independently funded and managed by my social enterprise. It's dedicated to creative affordable spaces." Read more here.
That's all for today
Thank you for joining me for today's edition of The Nottinghamian. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did why not sign up to receive it directly in your inbox every weekday by clicking here.
The answer to today's trivia question, in 2005, a section of which road between Nottingham and Derby was named Brian Clough Way, is the A52.
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