A report into a community association given £50m to improve a deprived area has criticised aspects of its work, but praised others.

It has been 10 years since Braunstone was awarded £49.5m of New Deal money to enhance life on the estate for thousands of residents.

A report, released yesterday, by university researchers looking into how the money was spent by Braunstone Community Association (BCA) said conflict and poor communication hindered the scheme in its early years.

But it said funds were successfully used to increase leisure and health opportunities.

The Mercury has not been able to obtain a full copy of the report, by Coventry University, but has seen its summary.

Yesterday, the report was presented to residents at an event at the Brite Centre, in Braunstone.

The BCA is now called Braunstone Foundation charity and works under the name of B-inspired.

Dave Brennan, chief executive of B-inspired, said: "Sometimes people forget the problem Braunstone was 10 years ago, and where we are now is a breath of fresh air.

"We've broken down a lot of barriers in working across different sectors and found new ways of doing things in terms of sport and healthy lifestyles.

"We had some ambitious and stretching targets and many have been achieved.

"The programme set out to narrow the gap between ourselves and Leicester as a whole – and we've done that in many cases."

Positive aspects cited in the report include:

The programme helped build a leisure centre, health centre, the Brite Centre and a skills centre.

Residents said they had more confidence and increased opportunities.

People were more satisfied with Braunstone as a place to live.

Fear of crime, burglary and theft had been reduced.

The report criticised:

Opportunities lost in early years of the project due to poor information and conflict.

GCSE results of secondary school children from Braunstone remain poor compared with the national average.

Braunstone Hall remains derelict.

There are concerns about access to the health and social care centre for residents in some areas.

Nearly all of the £49.5m has been spent. Residents yesterday said they had seen benefits.

Alan Chapman, 85, of Hockley Farm Road, moved to the area just over five years ago.

He said: "Since I've been here the place has improved, the Brite Centre has opened and we have a library bus that picks us up once a month. We can have as many books as we like – it's really useful."

Pauline Hurd, 72, has lived in Braunstone for 40 years.

She said: "You have to look around and see what's not here now – there is no graffiti, no burnt-out cars. We have the best street lighting in Leicester and safer houses."

Mark Warden, 36, lives in south Braunstone and runs a girls' football team.

He said: "The majority of the money went to the other side of Braunstone – that's what the residents feel round here.

"They've done up the park and there is a youth club up there that seems to be popular."

The Braunstone Foundation now has control of assets such as the health centre, in Hockley Farm Road.

These assets are expected to bring in more than £1.5m in the next five years.

The money generated will go back into paying for items such as the estate's annual carnival, extra beat officers and signs.