Wood End, Coventry facts for kids
Wood End is an area in the north of the city of Coventry, England. Wood End is surrounded by the districts of Bell Green, Alderman's Green, Potters Green and Henley Green.
To the south of Wood End is the Manor Farm estate, which along with Henley Green and Deedmore, make up the four areas marked for redevelopment in the New Deal for Communities programme. Along with Walsgrave and Potters Green, these six areas make up the Henley ward.
Much of the housing stock was built in the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the homes are owned by the Whitefriars Housing Group, a housing trust which took over the running and management of Coventry's council houses in 2000. The estate has a poor reputation within the city with crime rates being higher than average.
In April 2004, it was announced that Wood End, along with three other neighbouring districts, was to be redeveloped. The outline plans stated that much of the existing housing stock would be demolished and replaced with new homes to which tenants would be entitled to live. However, the project has been beset by delays and problems and as yet no deal for the redevelopment has been signed.
It was reported on the 6 July 2006 Coventry Evening Telegraph that the Severn Trent water company had revealed that the Wood End area is inaccessible without a police escort, even for emergencies. It was also revealed that Wood End is the only estate in the region which has a danger warning; there has been civil unrest on several occasions.
On the weekend of 16/17 May 1992, rioting began on the estate and spread across the city to the Willenhall and Hillfields districts. Wood End already had a reputation for violence by this time; the Live and Let Live pub on the estate known locally as the Live and Let Die due to its regular violent incidents.Unemployment on the estate was reported to have peaked at nearly 50% (approximately five times the national average) at this time.
On 18 June 2009, around 30 people set fire to rubbish and debris around Ashorne Close and then threw missiles at police and firefighters.
