Former residents' sad farewell as flat demolition begins

The demolition of three blocks of flats in Coventry is a sad moment for former residents who grew up there.

As diggers move in to clear the flats at Ferrers Close in Tile Hill, Stacey Queeney, who spent her formative years in the blue block, said she feels a deep sadness watching the building disappear.

She lived there from birth until the age of 17 with her mother Pauline and brother Mitchell and, looking back, she said remembers life at the time being full of adventure.

"My brother used to jump in the lift trying to get it stuck, so we'd end up trapped between floors," she laughed. "One time the fire brigade had to lift me out halfway between floors."

The green, orange and blue towers, owned by housing association Citizen, once housed a close-knit community with 99 homes.

The organisation said the buildings were expensive to heat and would require significant investment to meet modern standards.

From her flat, Stacey enjoyed panoramic views and was able to watch the Hearsall Common fair and fireworks light up the sky, she said.

She added that she would never forget her time living there.

"I used to put my BMX in the lift and race it up to the seventh floor," she said. "We threw water bombs from the windows and spent all day outside playing."

She recalled a close-knit neighbourhood where residents looked out for one another.

"When you went out to play, you knew everybody. I had friends in the orange block and friends in the green block. We all got on and looked after each other," Stacey told the BBC.

"We weren't well off and we didn't have much, but as children we absolutely loved it."

Another former resident, Laura Jones, moved into the green block in 2015, shortly after the birth of her first child, and lived there for a decade.

"Over that time, the green block became so much more than just a place we lived," she said.

"There was a real sense of family between us all.

"In the summer, we would get the paddling pool out, and during the World Cup we would all come together to watch England. We became like one big family," she added.

Demolition is due to be completed by March 2027, with plans being developed for a retirement living scheme on the site featuring 50 affordable homes for people aged over 55.

A planning application is expected to be submitted later this year, with the development potentially completed by autumn 2029, subject to approval.

Citizen said all residents of the flats have now moved to homes of their choice, supported throughout the rehousing process by its regeneration team.

The flats briefly found fame earlier this year when they appeared in the latest series of the BBC drama Silent Witness. While most filming took place in Birmingham, scenes were also shot at Ferrers Close, Faseman Avenue and Jardine Crescent.

Stacey said she will return to see the flats one last time before the towers disappear completely to say goodbye.

Laura told the BBC that the flats will always have a special place in her heart.

"I hope one day I can come back and see new families making their own memories in the new properties, just like we did [here]," she said.

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