Orchard Park Estate is an area or housing estate situated on the north-western side of Kingston upon Hull, England.
Geography
The Orchard Park Estate is on the northern eastern fringe of the western part Kingston upon Hull adjacent to the city boundary. Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire is directly to the west; the North Hull Estate (Greenwood Avenue) is contiguous adjacent to the south; the eastern boundary is formed by the Beverley and Barmston Drain, beyond which is more housing, and the River Hull (); to the north is open farmland.
As of 2014 primary schools in the area are Thorpepark Primary; The Parks Primary Academy; and St Anthony's (Roman Catholic).
Population and environment
Population at the 2001 and 2011 censuses was around 4,600, with the inhabitants being mainly white families (over 90%), predominately working class. Social housing represented 68% of all housing stock in 2011 (75% in 2001). Unemployment was extremely high in both national and local terms, at 27%. The area has suffered historically from a self re-inforcing negative perceptions of the area, resulting in low house prices and low desirability of properties; the layout of the estate has been characterised as a poorly implemented 'bastardised' version of the Radburn layout, seen as leading to problems around ownership of public spaces, such as parking areas.
History
Prior to the estate's development the land was open drained farmland; the northernmost housing development was on the south side of Orchard Park Road (formerly North Carr Lane, dating to at least 1850s). At the west side of the crossing of the road and the Beverley & Barmston drain (Cold Harbour Bridge) was Orchard Park Farm (formerly Cold Harbour farm).
In the 1930s the development of the North Hull Estate brought the urban growth of Hull to the edge of North Carr Lane. A church St Michael and All Angels was built on the north side of North Carr Lane ; it was replaced by another church , with the older building reused as a church hall.
1960–2000
Construction of the Orchard Park Estate began in 1963. The estate, together with the Ings Road Estate in East Hull was built as a response to a need for more council housing stock, in part due to slum clearances of older housing stock.
The estate took the form of four 'villages' (Thorpe Park, Danepark, Courtpark, and Shaw Parks), each consisting of a housing plan inspired by the Radburn design, each with a central tower block of flats. (Shaw Park lacked tower blocks.) An extension of Hall Road curved through the estate connecting from the Endike Lane (to Cottingham) to Beverley Road (to Beverley); use was made of landscaping with minor hillocks of made ground, mostly along the west and north side of Hall Road.
The estate was built with school facilities as part of the development. These were Thorpe Park Primary & Junior (east end of Hall Road, near Thorpe Park Road); Court Park Primary & Junior (Courtway Road); Danepark Primary & Junior school (between Feldane & Ealdane, Dane Park Road); Shaw Park Primary & Junior (near Dringshaw, Orchard Park Road); Sir Henry Cooper High (north-east corner of the estate, Thorpepark Road); Sir Leo Schultz High (opposite Isledane, north side of Danepark Road). Additionally there were Roman Catholic schools St John Fisher Junior High School; and Holy Name Primary, adjacent on the west side of Hall Road near the junction with Courtway Road.
Initial plans for an 'integrated neighbourhood centre' made in 1963 were abandoned by the council in 1969; subsequently in 1974 the Orchard Park shopping centre opened.
Leo Schultz School closed 1986. St John Fisher school closed 1988; the school buildings and site were later used by Humberside Police as a training centre.
2000–present
In 2001 the area had high levels of unoccupied housing at 26%.
Shaw Park Primary closed in 2001. Danepark Primary closed 2002. In 2002 the Parks Primary school (Courtway Road, Court Park School site) was formed from the merger of two primary schools. The development, named 'Harrison Park', is expected to be compete late 2016.
Two high-rise flats in the Danepark area (Milldane) were demolished in 2002. Two of three high-rise flats in the Thorpe Park area (Homethorpe) were demolished in 2002 and 2004 (Drake House and Vernon House).
In 2003 the violent murder of Rachel Moran was carried out by Michael Little on the estate.