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Resource Housing Reg. No. 2111
Great Homes Great Neighbourhoods Great People
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Your GREAT Neighbourhood Plan Oldham North
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Your Great Neighbourhood Plan aksa Homes, part of the New Charter Housing trust Group, aims to provide ‘Great Homes, Great Neighbourhoods, Great People’ by placing customers at the heart of everything it does. We are committed to tackling inequality whilst promoting and strengthening communities in the areas where you live.We would like everyone to work together to improve and shape our performance and the standard of services that we deliver.
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To do this we have developed a neighbourhood plan for each of our new neighbourhoods. this one is yours. This plan identifies the main issues that affect your neighbourhood and what we need to do to address them. Customers and partners have been involved in putting this neighbourhood plan together and they will be helping to monitor its progress every step of the way. The plan will run for three years and will be reviewed annually.
Customers and partners have been involved in putting this neighbourhood plan together.
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Great place to live... The Oldham North neighbourhood has 171 homes based mostly in the Westwood and Coldhurst areas with a small number in Chadderton. They lie within the Coldhurst ward.
shops scattered through the district. Improving access to the many employment and training opportunities in the town centre is a major priority for Aksa and other agencies.
This area is diverse with a significant Bangladeshi community. This is reflected in the ethnic profile of our tenants.
There are a number of major social landlords with homes in the area as well as a significant group of owner occupiers who have been resident for many generations.
Our homes are close to the town centre, with good transport connections and close to the major route to Rochdale. Royal Oldham Hospital is a key employer within the area.
The neighbourhoods have a good range of education provision from early years to adult education, with two further colleges in the surrounding area; Oldham Sixth Form College and Oldham College.
The area’s closeness to the town centre means it offers excellent shopping and educational facilities.These services are important to our residents, though there are also a number of convenient, smaller family run
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Down your street Here is a map and list of streets in your neighbourhood to give you an idea of exactly where your plan covers.
Oldham
What do we know about our homes and tenants in this area? We have identified a range of indicators that tell us about your neighbourhood. these indicators are designed to tell us how much support we need to give a neighbourhood and what specific areas are causing the most problems so we can target services and resources to improve them.
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We are using a simple rating of 5, 4, or 3 stars; 5 stars being the best rating. This is to help you see how your neighbourhood is performing in different areas. Each individual indicator we have used has its own star rating.
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Ashley Mews
Colwyn Street
Hurst Street
Plato Street
Ashley Street
Denmark Street
Kirkham Street
Ramsdale Street
Bamford Street
Eden Street
Main Road
Sherwood Street
Brierley Street
Franklin Close
Middleton Road
Shipla Close
Burnley Lane
Garforth Street
Neath Street
Westbourne Street
Chadderton Way
Harold Street
Orchid Close
Widdop Street
Clarkwell Close
Hexham Close
Osborne Street
Yasmin Gardens
% of current arrears
average number of repairs
The neighbourhood has some areas where rent arrears are a problem which means some households may be experiencing money management issues or difficulties adapting to welfare reform. This shows that some households may need additional support.
The average cost of repairs per property is significant and shows that many homes have issues in terms of maintenance costs and the need for regular repairs. Property damage is also an issue within the neighbourhood.
average time to re-let a property The homes in Oldham North are popular however, some have taken longer than planned to re-let.
tenancy turnover On average, people who move into the neighbourhood stay in their homes for a long time. This shows that people are happy in their area.
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% of ongoing anti-social behaviour cases The neighbourhood has a low level of anti-social behaviour or neighbour nuisance cases. This shows that other than occasional incidents, Aksa residents treat each other with respect.
The neighbourhood has significant problems with employment levels. This shows that some people in the area are having difficulty getting into work and may not be well qualified for the jobs that are available.
Neighbourhood satisfaction
Household income
People’s general satisfaction with the neighbourhood as a place to live is good but there are some factors that spoil their experience in the area.
The neighbourhood has quite low levels of family income compared with regional averages. This shows that a large number of families are deprived and have difficulty managing their money.
Crime The neighbourhood has moderate levels of crime compared to other Aksa neighbourhoods. Although levels of crime are not high, people do not always feel safe in their neighbourhood.
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employment
access to services Residents have good access to a range of shops and services. Support on a range of issues is easy to find in the area.
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Oldham North has been identified within Aksa's neighbourhoods as having the highest unemployment rate at 60%.
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Local knowledge: What we know about your neighbourhood the indicators we use at aksa point us in the right direction but we are really keen to hear from you. So, we conducted a questionnaire and managed to talk to the majority of our tenants in their own homes. We also talked about specific issues with groups of tenant representatives and used focus groups to look at areas of our service, for instance, repairs and maintenance.
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What our team at aksa told us There is an active community in this area, who are keen to work with Aksa to make a difference to their neighbourhood. There is some anti-social behaviour and crime that has a negative impact upon residents’ quality of life. Aksa Homes will be working more closely with police and other organisations in response to the anti-social behaviour issues highlighted within the neighbourhood. There are a number of social landlords with homes in the area. Aksa has established links with these landlords to form partnerships in response to some of the issues of concern in our surveys.
The Aksa team works well with local Tenant Panel representatives to develop awareness and promote customer feedback on priorities.
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What you told us On average people we spoke to rate the neighbourhood 7.7 out of 10 place to live.While people are positive about the area, there are still some quality of life issues that residents think need to be looked at. Some of the best features about the neighbourhood were: access to shops and amenities and local schools. The issues to improve are: lack of job opportunities, education, training, and lack of childcare provision. People raised specific issues about: Anti-social behaviour Rubbish and litter Noise nuisance from neighbours Important reasons identified to why some tenants would not move from the neighbourhood are: Schools Feeling safe Proximity to family members
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83% of Aksa tenants were unlikely to leave the neighbourhood with 86% specifying that they would buy the property they are living in. 11
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What other organisations told us Crime has been identified as an issue in the neighbourhood. It has also been noticed that certain parts of the neighbourhood are more vulnerable than others. This is not helped by the design and layout of the area and we are working with partners to look at how we can improve this. The neighbourhoods of Oldham North have higher than average levels of unemployment and benefit dependency in comparison to regional averages. Oldham Council has launched a major economic development strategy called ‘Get Oldham Working’ which is designed to get 2015 residents into work by 2015. Low household income is an issue for some families with agencies identifying problems with the number of people on benefits. Agencies expressed concern regarding the Government's welfare reform and increase in debt issues. Agencies thought that access to mainstream services and local amenities could become difficult in light of reduction of some services. Better access to services should be a priority. Oldham Council is a pilot for Universal Credit and a campaign with partners is underway to look at helping people to manage their money, pay bills and get online.
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Aksa Homes will work with the council to look at opportunities to deliver better local services. The neighbourhood plan will look at giving people better health and well-being services. Specific attention is required for the needs of women excluded from economic activity, in particular, within the BME community. Provision and nature of older person's housing is currently being looked at by the authority and its Oldham Housing Investment Partners.
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What we saw together The look of neighbourhoods varied significantly. While some areas looked neat and tidy, others had problems with litter, fly-tipping and vandalism. Boundary fences to some properties need looking at.
Litter and fly-tipping are major issues within the neighbourhood. There are some issues with the tidiness of front and rear gardens. Shared areas and landscaping both need work.
Parts of Oldham North have a strong community base with tenants who are actively involved with the Aksa team. 13
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What do we need to do to make this a greater place? the aim of this section is to identify the activities needed to improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood based on what we have established and what you have told us. It is effectively an action plan which shows us what needs to be done in more detail.
Neighbourhood management
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What?
Why?
When?
Work with the police and partners to improve security in areas where there is drug-related crime.
To reduce anti-social behaviour and increase security for residents.
November 2013
Review environmental investment plans and work with the District Team to improve the area.
To co-ordinate investment in particular areas.
March 2014
Carry out an external audit of all Aksa properties within the neighbourhood.
To ensure a long term investment strategy is applied to works being completed.
May 2014
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What?
Why?
When?
Develop 'Community Champions' to lead on a green recycling and waste disposal initiative.
To enhance the appearance of the neighbourhood and increase community involvement.
December 2013
Review how we let our homes.
To ensure that homes are let to those people/families in need most whilst encouraging people to give something back to the community.
August 2013
Work with Oldham Council to review parking for residents in certain streets.
To look at non-resident parking and other obstruction issues.
September 2013
Aksa Team to continue to promote quarterly estate inspections and to encourage greater tenant involvement to help with this.
Greater involvement from residents to ensure issues of concern are addressed.
July 2013
Co-ordinated response to deal with specific housing management issues within the area of Westwood.
To carry out intense work to address areas of concern.
March 2014
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You and your family
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What?
Why?
When?
Start our 'Stepping into work' employment programme and set up a work club in the area.
To provide help, support and guidance to residents with training opportunities and finding employment to work.
September 2013
Review tenancy agreements to clarify the action we will take to resolve problems with nuisance/noise/gardens/pets.
To clarify the action Aksa Homes will take when dealing with any tenancy issues to improve the quality of life for the majority of residents.
January 2014
Provide increased support for vulnerable residents and link them to specialist support through New Charter and the council.
To maintain and improve the quality of life and provisions of services for the most vulnerable residents.
August 2013
Make targeted calls and visits to customers in rent arrears to address the arrears and signpost to support services.
To reduce the number of evictions for non-payment of rent and provide more help and advice on managing money.
September 2013
Link into the Oldham into Work scheme ‘Get Oldham Working’ with assigned Project Officer.
To increase employment opportunities for residents.
November 2013
Provide help, support and guidance to those who are affected by welfare reform via our services and welfare benefits advice team.
To reduce rent arrears and therefore reduce the number of residents at risk of losing their homes due to debt issues.
August 2013
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What?
Why?
When?
Refer customers who may benefit from additional support in debt advice and money management via our Citizens Advice Service Scheme.
To increase awareness of help and support to reduce debt and/or financial problems.
August 2013
Use findings from 'Older Person's' research study commissioned by Aksa Homes and Oldham Housing Partners.
To assess the services that are already on offer and make recommendations the future.
November 2013
Extend the range of English language classes and other outreach services to targeted groups.
To promote inclusion for all members of the family.
September 2013
Hold regular housing advice neighbourhood drop-ins.
To offer a face-to-face service in central locations to ensure that issues are dealt with locally.
July 2013
We aim to... increase awareness of help and support to reduce debt and/or financial problems. 17
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Home
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What?
Why?
When?
Publish maintenance investment plans and communicate the repairs and refurbishment priorities for 2014.
To make sure that all residents know when and what home improvements are planned.
March 2014
Promote the 'Fix It' scheme.
To offer a helping hand for home DIY.
November 2013
Hold Great Homes events regularly to promote the repairs and maintenance service.
To promote wider understanding of tenant and landlord responsibilities.
April 2014
Investigate the causes of damp and condensation in identified homes.
Help people to stop damp and advise how to solve the problem if it happens.
May 2014
Monitor Green Charter in-house grounds maintenance service and encourage tenants to get involved.
To ensure service delivers a high standard and customer feedback is encouraged.
October 2013
Carry out internal and external property inspections to all Aksa properties within the neighbourhood.
To ensure tenancy obligations are being met. Also to improve and maintain the property and its appearance.
June 2014
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What?
Why?
When?
Look at all adaptions in our homes within the neighbourhood.
To ensure the best use of adapted properties.
December 2013
Look at boundary fencing to properties.
To check condition and look at possible improvements.
May 2014
To ensure services are delivered to a high standard and customer feedback is encouraged.
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Community involvement
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What?
Why?
When?
Promote our work with Oldham Academy and other schools.
Promote role of Aksa and social landlords as both employers and housing providers.
March 2014
Work with partners to increase awareness of health advice and services.
To improve the health of residents in the neighbourhood and the support they receive.
May 2014
Develop and increase digital inclusion and social media inclusion through Twitter and Facebook.
To encourage better channels of communication not only between us and our tenants, but also between tenants.
April 2014
Look at holding community information events.
Increase community spirit, build positive relationships with neighbours and increase the community’s knowledge of what services and opportunities are available.
March 2014
Develop partnerships with other major landlords in Oldham to help community involvement initiatives with a key contact in Aksa Homes.
To lead an approach in which both Aksa and non-Aksa members of the wider community can help improve social cohesion.
September 2013
Introduce a youth group to offer activities and develop young neighbourhood champions.
To build upon community collaboration and inter-generational links.
December 2013
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What?
Why?
When?
Explore potential for street representatives within the neighbourhood.
To build a network of customer representatives as a mechanism for feedback to staff.
January 2014
Work with Aksa’s Tenant Panel Team on key customer issues.
To promote and encourage tenant led scrutiny.
July 2013
Ensure Aksa Homes is involved with all relevant District Partnerships.
To promote partnership work.
September 2013
Establish regular liaison with Oldham “Positive Steps” and identify potential for joint projects.
Develop partnership with key agencies in Oldham.
January 2014
Work with the council to look into the possibility of shared recycling bins on some schemes.
To encourage recycling and offer a wider range of services.
May 2014
We aim to... work with Aksa's Tenant Panel team on key customer issues.
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What next? A great start! aksa Homes is making a start on the different issues in your Neighbourhood Plan. Our partner, New Charter Housing trust Group, is also involved in helping to improve your area. Some work has already started but we will be reviewing the plans regularly through the year so keep an eye out for updates. In your great neighbourhood plan, as well as in our other five Aksa Homes neighbourhoods, we would like to mark the start of a new phase of activities aimed at ensuring that all our neighbourhoods are great places to live. In the meantime, if you have any comments or suggestions or would like to get involved in helping us to achieve change in your neighbourhood then please contact us.You can do this by ringing 0161 620 2992 or contacting us via your preferred method.
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Neighbourhood fact file Here are some facts and figures about the people and properties that make up your neighbourhood.
age profile of our residents
0-15
16-20
35.8%
14.5%
Ages of our residents living in Oldham North.
60 & over
7.7%
21-59
42.0%
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Number of properties owned by aksa Homes =
171
Properties by type Houses
171
ethnicity of our residents
Bangladeshi White 2.2% Other 5.1%
79.4%
Ethnicity of our residents living in Oldham North.
Pakistani 8.% Black
4.6%
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Final thoughts We hope the actions outlined in your great neighbourhood plan will make a great difference to you, your family and your neighbours. You have told us what matters most to you to improve the appearance of your neighbourhood and your quality of life. We believe that the key to success will be to continue to work together with you to achieve this.
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Contact us aksa OfďŹ ce (Connect) 0161 620 2992
info@aksahomes.co.uk
anti-social behaviour hotline: 0800 027 0522 24 hours a day
facebook.com/aksahomes
aksa Office:
Aksa Homes Aksa House 2 Medtia Square Phoenix Street Oldham OL1 1AN
www.aksahomes.co.uk @AksaHomes
Head Office:
New Charter Group Cavendish 249 Cavendish Street Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7AT
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