Basildon’s Craylands estate has had a bad reputation.
Even in the past two months, a taxi driver was robbed at knife-point and a caravan was burnt to the ground, while residents explain how their parents would warn them of the &apos;rough&apos; estate when they were growing up.
Now, Craylands looks to consist of two separate entities - post-war flats and maisonettes versus the vast number of new builds, erected as part of Basildon Council’s regeneration project.
With construction going on all over - and more to come in the near future - it has also been granted a new name by the council.
Instead of Craylands, you are greeted by big signs welcoming you to "Beechwood Village".
So despite its torrid past, is the reputation still justified?
Reporter Alasdair Hooper went down to find out from the people who live there about what life is like.
While surveying the area I ask a passer-by if he would like to chat about the estate.
He laughs at me and responds “I’m over there on the quiet side” pointing to the other side of the road.
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The man then made off before I could ask any more questions, but it wasn’t long before I started to gather some sort of understanding about life on the ‘loud side’.
“The estate has gone up and down really,” says one woman, who wished to remain anonymous, and has lived on Craylands for 47 years.
“Sometimes it is really nice and sometimes it has been really bad.
“It’s not very good at the moment - it’s crime and drugs and stuff really.
“The council are doing it all up and it’s been better that way.
“You don’t want to go out after dark, or anything like that now, and you’ve just got to be careful really.
“Now it’s winter we have to get home earlier, and we go out later in the morning as well.
“We’ve had a chap who begs around the shop.
“He’s quite frightening, especially for older people.
“Where I live we have really decent neighbours and the whole block really look out for each other.
The same woman, who was out walking her dog, continues to explain how the reduction of policing levels has also been noticed.
“We used to have two really good PCSO’s that worked on the estate and they were brilliant because they knew everybody.
“They used to get all the intelligence, people would recognise them, know they’ve said hello to them and then go and speak to them. But now I don&apos;t see them."
“Whereas now people won’t phone up the police so they were really good.
She continues: “I know it’s not their fault, and they’re stretched and it’s the cuts.
“It’s so we can see a face that we can say hello to and if you have got any information you can tell them."
Shelly, 32, is a motor claims handler and has lived in Basildon for all of her life.
However, she has just recently moved into one of the newer properties on the estate from February of this year.
"It’s alright but it’s a bit dirty,” she says.
“I find poppers canisters on the floor, loads of rubbish everywhere and people who don’t clean up their dog mess, which drives me insane.
“Personally I’ve not had any trouble and I’ve not had any issue.
“I’ve not seen anyone loitering or anything like that.
As someone who has always lived in Basildon, the 32-year-old mum-of-one knows all about the reputation Craylands has.
Even her own mum would tell her stories about it, but now having now lived on the estate for a few months she has a different opinion.
“For years Craylands has had a terrible rep, but from what I’ve witnessed so far, apart from it being a bit dirty, I’ve not encountered anything horrible,” she adds.
“In my block they’re neighbourly, they’ll knock and ask to borrow tools from my husband and vice versa.
“It’s quite peaceful where I live and there’s no-one horrible in there.
“I don’t know why Craylands got such a bad rep because it was even like that before I was born.
A 20-year-old man, who wished to be anonymous, later told me that he had lived on the estate his entire life.
“It’s alright, you get your rough bits but you get your rough bits everywhere,” he explains.
“I think the middle is worse but the outskirts are alright to be honest.
“Not so long ago there was an incident outside the shop and that was about a week ago.
“I’m not really fussed to be honest - I’ve got a lovely place indoors but the outside is terrible.
The contrast between old Craylands and new (Beechwood Village) is stark for someone visiting for the first time.
Nestled side-by-side are new brick built buildings with the grey worn out apartments blighted by graffiti. The sort you might expect in an area with its reputation.
For many, it is clear why Basildon Council have launched their regeneration project.
“It’s had a bad reputation a long time ago but it doesn’t matter where you go - there’s good and bad everywhere,” says one Basildon man who works in the area.
“They’re trying to improve it and as you can see they’re doing a pretty good job of it.
“It is all down to funds, and people being patient.
“It obviously had a bad reputation with kids flying around on stolen bikes and burning cars. But I think you get that anywhere.
“It’s down to you how you run your life and your neighbourhood.
“The world is never perfect, it’s up and down and you get the good and the bad.
“I know a lot of people on the estate and 90 per cent of them are happy.
“You’ve got the odd few but I don’t think you’ll ever change that.
With the arrival of the new builds, some people in the past living on the estate have expressed concern about being priced out of the area, particularly if they want to purchase their home.
But the overall sense from those on the ground is that the development is positive for the area and in improving its much-maligned reputation.
“I think it’s a good thing, some of the places in Craylands are a bit run down,” says Shelly.
“It’s to try and make it look a bit nicer and some of the people that have been with the council for years have got these brand new properties so I think that’s a great opportunity.
“If I lived in an old house and I got a brand new house I think I would be over the moon with that.
“But the new builds are really expensive if you have to buy them.
“When I’ve looked into it before they say they’ll help you with the deposit but the overall price is so high.