Tucked away on a hill and separated from Brighton city centre, Hollingdean has been out of sight, out of mind.

The community was left to fend for itself while other estates had millions of pounds pumped into them.

With little for young people to do, car crime became commonplace and people's fears of going out at night increased.

But residents are at last starting to see changes.

About £5 million will be invested in Hollingdean during the next ten years with cash from both the Government's Sure Start and Neighbourhood Renewal programmes.

Sure Start is aimed at boosting the quality of life for young children and families while Neighbourhood Renewal looks at the wider community.

The two funds will be combined, providing a sizeable amount to help the area and residents are instrumental in deciding where the cash will go.

The first plan is an overhaul of the dilapidated community centre.

Eventually, a new Sure Start centre will be built and householders are debating where to put it.

David Nicholls, who is co-ordinating the state's renewal programme, explained why the extra money was needed.

He said: "There is precious little in community facilities.

"There aren't a lot of shops. There is a run-down community centre and nowhere really for young people to do anything in the evenings. There is not much in sporting facilities. There are kids there who have never been swimming.

"There are no trees or flowers in Hollingdean. There is also a feeling on the estate that it's not safe at night and that attracts anti-social behaviour.

"But there are some really good things about Hollingdean. It is not a place where people just want to get out - there's a strong identification with it. There is a lot of neighbourliness."

This community identity is the trump card in getting the estate back on its feet.

Mr Nicholls said he hoped to bring in neighbourhood wardens, a scheme which has proved successful in Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb.

The wardens are an initial point of contact for people to report problems and provide a valuable link between the police, council and the community.

Introducing the wardens will boost local employment, a key target of Neighbourhood Renewal.

Once the community centre is refurbished, expected to be in a couple of months, it will be a more inviting place for people to organise local activities.

A pre-school will be opened there in September, where it will remain until the Sure Start centre is built.

Mother-of-two Nicky Garrood, 26, is one of many who will benefit from the new facilities.

She said: "I have lived here since I was two. It is only now with the new funding that people are realising there is hope and there will be better facilities.

"I am looking forward to having more nursery spaces. I had real problems getting my son into a nursery before the age of three.

"Sure Start is investing money into a new nursery for up to 50 children.

"There are also no creche facilities at the moment where mums can leave their kids for a few hours while they go shopping."

Rosalind Turner, Brighton and Hove City Council's assistant director of communities and families, said the funding from both Sure Start and Neighbourhood Renewal was unique in the country as far as she knew.

She said: "When we learnt we could apply for more Sure Start money, we looked at a range of indicators such as educational achievement, health, social care and housing.

"Although it is not the most deprived area of town, it has particular needs and, unlike other areas, did not have additional money coming in.

"Because there is no family centre, there is a lot of isolation on the estate."