Denton Central - Neighbourhood Plan

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Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter Denton Central


Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter

At New Charter we would like all our neighbourhoods to be great places to live. We would like them to look great, have great services, feel safe and be a place for both work and recreation.

for 3 years and will be reviewed annually with residents to assess our progress.

It identifies the main issues that affect your neighbourhood and what needs to be done both by us and our partner organisations to To create great communities we address them. We want to focus all would like everyone to work our efforts on making sure you have together to decide how their local neighbourhood should develop and a great place to live so we will be working just as hard with a range of grow in the future and to improve other organisations on some of the on the services they don’t like and wider issues such as employment maintain those that they do. and crime. To make sure this happens we Remember, you are the experts in have produced a neighbourhood what it’s like to live in your plan for each of New Charter’s 32 newly defined neighbourhoods and neighbourhood and you will be our most important partner of all. this one is yours. The plan will run 02

You are the experts in what it’s like to live in your neighbourhood and you will be our most important partner of all.


GREAT place to live... The Denton Central neighbourhood surrounds Denton town centre; stretches upwards to Haughton Green and the Dane Bank area and can be accessed by the main roads that run through Denton from the surrounding towns of Audenshaw, Hyde and Stockport.The neighbourhood is situated on several main bus routes making these towns and central Manchester easily accessible. Denton Central comprises of a mixture of property types including traditional two and three bedroomed semidetached houses, flats, bungalows and one sheltered scheme;Windsor House situated in the Dane Bank area of Denton.The scheme is serviced by buses to all surrounding towns but is also within walking distance of a small selection of shops and a community centre; with the town centre of Denton only a short drive away. The majority of properties were constructed in the 1930’s with some areas such as Rose Hill being built in the 1980’s.Whilst New Charter owns a large proportion of the properties within the neighbourhood there are a significant number of

privately owned properties. Due to its location the neighbourhood has limited green spaces. There are a vast number of amenities available to the neighbourhood which include various shops, a post office, doctor’s surgery and a supermarket all within a ten minute walk; with the exception of Windsor House. There is also a library and swimming pool along with a park and children’s play area within the town centre itself. The neighbourhood is also well situated within a twenty minute walk from Crown Point North Retail Park where a selection of larger chain stores can be found. There are several primary schools within the neighbourhood; Corrie Primary School, Greswell Primary School, Linden Road Primary School and Hearing Impaired Resource Base, Russell Scott Primary School, St Annes Primary School, St Marys Roman Catholic Primary School, Denton West End Primary School and Dane Bank Primary School.There are three high schools within the area which include StThomas More Roman Catholic High School.Two other local high schools recently amalgamated and in January 2012 the newly formed Denton Community College opened; situated on the former Egerton Park High School site and replaces Egerton Park andTwoTrees High Schools. Linden Road Primary school also includes a Sure Start Centre which offers a range of services including family support, play opportunities for children, information on benefits, training opportunities and support for children with disabilities or additional needs.There is also aYoung Peoples Centre on Duke Street in the town centre which runs services for older and teenage children such as youth clubs and media projects. 03


Down your street Here is a map and a list of streets included in your neighbourhood to give you an idea of exactly where your plan covers.

Denton Central

Yew Tree Farm & Pendle Road Tame Valley

Does your neighbourhood have star quality? We have identified a range of indicators that tell us overall how great your neighbourhood is. These indicators are designed to tell us how much support we need to give a neighbourhood and what specific areas seem to be causing the most problems so that we can target services and resources to improve them. 04

We are using a simple rating of 5, 4 or 3 stars; 5 stars being the best rating, so you can see easily how individual sections within your neighbourhood are performing. Each individual indicator we have used has its own star rating which when combined together produce an overall star rating for your neighbourhood.

The indicators range from the time taken to relet houses to employment and education. You can see them all below with an explanation of what the ratings mean for your neighbourhood.


Acacia Avenue

Chester Street

Larch Road

Stanley Road

Acre Street

Cypress Grove

Lees Avenue

Stopford Walk

Alder Grove

Elizabeth Street

Linden Road

Town Lane

Angier Grove

Fir Road

Mount Pleasant Road

Vinery Grove

Bentley Road

Gable Court

Pine Grove

Whittles Avenue

Birch Grove

Garside Street

Rose Hill

Willow Grove

Catherine Street East

George Street

Rosedale Court

Windmill Lane

Cedar Grove

Haughton Hall Road

Rosewood

Chapel Green

Holford Court

Rowe Green

Windsor House, Ashwood Avenue

Chapelfield Road

Holly Grove

Shoecroft Avenue

Charnwood Avenue

Hyde Road

St. Lawrence Road

% of current rent 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 and could be at risk of losing their homes. It also indicates some households may need additional support.

The average number of repairs per property is relatively low and indicates that properties do not have any significant issues in terms of maintenance costs or property damage.

Average time to relet a property The time it takes to relet a property is generally good across the neighbourhood indicating that properties are generally popular and people who are eligible can move into their new home relatively quickly.

Tenancy turnover This shows that on average people who move into the neighbourhood tend to stay in their homes for a reasonable length of time although the length of stay varies across the whole of the neighbourhood. It also indicates that people are not as happy living in some parts of the neighbourhood as they could be with some choosing not to stay in the long term.

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% of live antisocial behaviour cases The neighbourhood experiences a significant number of antisocial behaviour or neighbour nuisance cases.This indicates that while residents treat each other with respect there are a number of incidents that do occur that have a negative impact on people’s ability to relax and feel secure. Neighbourhood satisfaction People’s general satisfaction with the neighbourhood as a place to live is good but there are some factors that spoil their experience and affect their enjoyment of the area. Crime

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Employment The neighbourhood has some problems with employment levels compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.This indicates that some people in the neighbourhood are having difficulty accessing the jobs market and may not be well qualified for the jobs that are available. Education and skills There are some issues with the level of educational attainment and skills in the neighbourhood.This also indicates that it may not be easy to access the training people may need to help them gain employment or develop their existing career prospects. Household income

People in the neighbourhood experience relatively low levels of crime and vandalism in relation to similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.Whilst not perfect, this does mean that people overall are likely to feel relatively safe and secure living in and walking around the neighbourhood.

The neighbourhood has some problems with family income levels compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.This indicates that some families may suffer the effects of deprivation and have difficulty in making ends meet.

Health

Access to services

The neighbourhood has some issues with peoples health and disability levels compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.This could indicate that more people than usual may have mobility problems of one sort or another, need some long term medical support in their homes and perhaps feel quite isolated.

People in the neighbourhood have relatively good access to a range of shops and services from a variety of organisations which are near to their homes.This indicates that it is relatively easy to go shopping for a range of goods as well as access advice and support on a range of issues in the neighbourhood.


Neighbourhood overall star rating Overall the neighbourhood is a good place to live but it does experience some problems that affect people’s quality of life on a day to day basis.The main aim for this neighbourhood is to identify the right activities, services and initiatives that will help address the specific issues that prevent it being as good a place as it could be. 07


Local knowledge: Auditing your neighbourhood Whilst the indicators show us useful trends and point us in the right direction we need more local knowledge to identify some of the specific issues we need to address. To gather this information we have conducted a neighbourhood audit asking the people who live and work here to identify what they think the issues were.

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What our Neighbourhood team told us Generally the neighbourhood suffers from significant problems with antisocial behaviour.The issues mainly revolve around low level nuisance in terms of noise disturbance, neighbour disputes and disturbance or damage caused for instance by children’s games. However what compounds these issues is the persistent nature of some of the neighbourhood nuisance linked to difficult to resolve behavioural problems of some of the perpetrators. Generally demand for the neighbourhood is good and most properties are easy to let. However some parts of the neighbourhood are harder to let due to nuisance issues which affects the overall frequency at which people move in and out of the area. Having said this most areas have relatively stable populations which results in a low turnover of houses and bungalows. In terms of neighbourhood appearance whilst good in many areas there are some issues around refuse left in communal front gardens, fencing in poor repair, fly tipping near properties, litter on some paths and near to the shops, unmaintained plots of land which are overgrown and the breakup of tarmac on some roads. There are also some neighbourhood management issues around dog fouling in communal and open plan gardens, untidy gardens, poorly maintained fencing and disputes over

garden boundaries in some specific areas.There are also some parking issues in the Rose Hill area of the neighbourhood. The Neighbourhood team have regular meetings with the Rose Hill Forum which generates useful feedback and has helped to identify a number of service priorities.The team would also like to develop other ways people in the community can provide feedback.

The local Linden Road Children’s Centre is an excellent resource, as is the young people’s centre on Duke Street. Both support a wide range of activities and advice services in addition to detached youth work initiatives.

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What you told us On average the people we spoke to rate the neighbourhood 8 out of 10 as a place to live; although people are positive about the area there are still some quality of life issues that residents feel need to be addressed. Some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: access to shops, transport and amenities, good neighbours, low crime and general clean and tidy appearance. The issues identified about living in the neighbourhood were: anti social behaviour, parking, disruptive games in the streets, the behaviour of some problematic neighbours and dog fouling. People raised specific issues with us about: A more frequent refuse collection service More activities for older residents The need for a furniture removal service A lack of play facilities for younger children The need for a youth club The need for a local community centre A lack of keep fit facilities Police visibility Communal gardening More broadly people would like to have better access to employment advice, adult education, drop in clinics and support services for older residents.There was also a significant emphasis on the need for community based leisure facilities. 10


• Some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: access to shops, transport and amenities, good neighbours, low crime and general clean and tidy appearance. 11


What other organisations told us There are some health issues in the neighbourhood compared with the rest of Tameside particularly in terms of higher mortality and disability rates with particular links to coronary health. However there are also issues around access to mental health services, provision of the right kind of services for young families with children and for older people in their homes which is a particular area of focus. Crime is not a major issue in the neighbourhood with problems mainly around low level antisocial behaviour and some criminal damage. More neighbourhood surveillance may be needed in key areas. Levels of unemployment are significant in some parts of the neighbourhood. Access to training and subsequent employment is an issue for many people; with poor educational attainment levels compounded by a lack of signposting to training providers and preparatory support. Young people in the neighbourhood are seen as suffering from a lack of access to facilities and support services. Continuing the existing work in these areas is needed to impact youth related antisocial behaviour. There is a general lack of play facilities for younger children.

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Agencies think there is a continuing need for early years provision and support for young families, as well as for childcare facilities more generally.There may also be a need for more general family support for some households. Agencies thought there could be problems for residents in terms of loss of income as a result of the Government’s welfare reform.There are also concerns about loan sharking activity in the neighbourhood. Access to mainstream services and amenities is relatively good due to the location of the neighbourhood and some drop in services help but more signposting is needed for services for older residents.


What we saw together: Well maintained grassed areas and open spaces

Dog fouling across the neighbourhood

Refuse bin storage is difficult on Rose Hill due to neighbourhood design and rubbish is therefore an issue

Vandalised fencing in some parts of the neighbourhood

Fly tipping on communal spaces and paths

The poor condition of the former garage site on Acacia Avenue

Lack of car parking provision on Rose Hill

A number of untidy front gardens

Evidence of cars driving over the grassed areas in the St Lawrence Road area

Adopted roads and pavements in the St Lawrence Road area in very poor condition

Internal communal areas in poor condition

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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’s effectively an action plan which shows what needs to be done in more detail.

Neighbourhood and community management

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What?

Why?

When?

Target low level antisocial behaviour (ASB) including youth nuisance activity, neighbourhood disputes and inconsiderate behaviour with an increased Neighbourhood team presence enhanced by CCTV surveillance in shared and hot spot areas.

To reduce the incidence of ASB in the neighbourhood and reduce property turnover in affected areas.

November 2013

Work with the Police and the Community Safety team on target hardening and the surveillance of nuisance and congregation in communal areas and develop a more general policing plan targeting youth nuisance, vandalism and damage to vehicles.

To reduce levels of vandalism and increase feelings of security for customers who feel vulnerable to crime by developing a long term crime prevention strategy to ensure a consistent policing approach.

November 2013

Review current facilities and activities for residents with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (TMBC) to identify potential community venues and the feasibility of providing more space for general community activities.

To ensure the neighbourhood has sufficient venues to host community activities and drop in services.

October 2014


What?

Why?

When?

Increase the activities of TMBC environmental patrollers targeting dog fouling.

To reduce the level of dog fouling in the neighbourhood.

July 2013

Work with the Community Safety team and TMBC to review the need for and possible options in relation to traffic calming.

To Increase road safety and reduce speeding in the neighbourhood.

October 2014

Work with TMBC to review the refuse bin service and the provision of additional refuse storage in the neighbourhood generally with residents.

To improve neighbourhood appearance and the quality of life for residents.

December 2014

Work with TMBC Sports Trust on the provision of increased keep fit activities and facilities.

To improve the health of residents in the neighbourhood.

August 2013

Work with partners to increase signposting of residents to health advice and services as well as a particular emphasis on provision of services to young people and older people in their homes.

To improve the health of residents in the neighbourhood, the support available and the quality of life and more independent living for older residents.

July 2013

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What?

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Why?

When?

Consistently signpost and refer customers and their families to employment and income advice services; working with partners to develop employment readiness.

To increase individuals opportunities of gaining employment and maximise income.

January 2013

CleanCare to increase the targeting of fly tipping and littering in identified areas and to work with Green Charter especially on communal areas. Collaborate with Community Payback and partners to develop joint service standards and schedules to deliver an enhanced service.

To improve the appearance of specific areas experiencing litter and the upkeep of green and communal spaces.

April 2013

Work with a number of organisations and stakeholders on initiatives identified in their plans that will help improve the neighbourhood.

To improve services and maximise input into the neighbourhood from other service providers.

November 2013

Focus additional resources on trees and overgrown shrubs.

To improve the appearance of the streets and the neighbourhoods.

May 2013

Work in partnership with TMBC to improve the condition of un-adopted roads and pavements in the St Lawrence Road area.

To improve the roadside, neighbourhood appearance and local driving conditions.

March 2014


To reduce levels of vandalism and increase feelings of security for customers who feel vulnerable to crime by developing a long term crime prevention strategy to ensure a consistent policing approach.

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Tenancy What?

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Why?

When?

Apply a sensitive lettings approach to reduce lifestyle clashes through unsuitable lets.

To maintain community stability, reduce turnover of properties once let and decrease neighbour disputes.

April 2013

Increase the use and targeting of neighbourhood mediation services for disputes.

To reduce neighbourhood disputes and improve neighbour relations.

May 2013

Target fast track enforcement for serious ASB perpetrators with targeted resources from New Charter’s Tenancy and Support Services team.

To remove quickly disruptive residents and improve quality of life for other residents protecting demand for properties.

May 2013

Increase tenancy and neighbourhood enforcement on activities that affect quality of life e.g. Nuisance, upkeep of gardens, noise and pet ownership.

To improve the quality of life for the majority of residents as well as to identify and reduce unacceptable conduct.

May 2013

Set up a gardening tool hire service and a gardening club for all residents in the area.

To increase access to advice and equipment to maintain gardens.

June 2013

Visit older and vulnerable customers annually to assess any support or adaptations needs.

To maintain the quality of life and independent living for older customers.

September 2013


What?

Why?

When?

Make targeted calls to customers in rent arrears to address the arrears and signpost to advice services.

To reduce arrears in the neighbourhood and therefore reduce the number of customers whose home is at risk due to debt issues.

January 2013

Hold a regular housing surgery in the neighbourhood.

To make it easier and quicker to access services and for neighbourhood issues to be dealt with.

July 2013

Provide increased support to identified vulnerable residents and link them to specialist support and advice services as well.

To help identified residents successfully manage their tenancies and reduce lifestyle clashes with other residents.

January 2013

Neighbourhood team to carry out quarterly neighbourhood inspections (open to residents).

To provide regular monitoring of street level appearance and visible issues.

March 2013

Target residents who may be affected by welfare reform and provide advice and support.

To increase awareness of potential issues and help reduce debt and/or financial problems caused by welfare reform.

January 2013

We aim to... Improve the quality of life for the majority of residents as well as to identify and reduce unacceptable conduct. 19


Home What?

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Why?

When?

Review the condition and improvements required to the former garage site on Acacia Avenue.

To improve the security and appearance of the neighbourhood and reduce occasional fly tipping.

July 2013

Review the condition of internal communal areas to improve appearance and make them more user friendly.

To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood and increase residents quality of life.

November 2013

Undertake a review of local play facilities provision in consultation with residents.

To ensure children have well placed safe places to play.

October 2014

Undertake a review of the work required to fencing and boundaries to include options around changing the design of some areas of fencing to reduce persistent criminal damage.

To assess if existing fencing is adequate in terms of security and appearance and identify any specific work needed to clarify fencing boundaries.

August 2013

Review the parking provision for customers on identified streets.

To identify any additional parking spaces required and the potential options if additional provision is required.

January 2014

Provide dog bins in identified areas in consultation with TMBC.

To improve neighbourhood appearance and quality of life for residents.

July 2013


What?

Why?

When?

Continue with the rewiring programme for identified homes and finalise any outstanding kitchen and bathroom replacements.

To modernise homes in the neighbourhood and improve quality of life for residents.

December 2014

Develop a programme to improve the condition of communal drying areas.

To improve neighbourhood appearance and quality of life for residents.

August 2013

To improve neighbourhood appearance and quality of life for residents. 21


Involvement and empowerment What?

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Why?

When?

Continue to work with the Rose Hill Forum and provide increased support to develop their activities.

To obtain detailed feedback from residents specifically on service and wider neighbourhood issues and work with them jointly on neighbourhood priorities.

March 2013

Ask interested customers to be street representatives whose role will be to report any issues they or other residents are concerned about in their street or the wider neighbourhood.The Neighbourhood team will also contact the street representatives once a quarter to check progress and provide support.

This will provide a way for customers to report any issues to staff and to have them addressed promptly.This will also help improve the day to day service.

April 2013

Set up a neighbourhood improvement group with residents.

To ensure services are more customer and neighbourhood focused.

April 2013

Develop customer inspections on key customer identified issues.

To increase customer led monitoring of issues by getting the ‘customer eye’ view.

April 2013

Develop a focus group or coffee morning with older residents linked to Windsor House.

To identify specific issues that affect older residents in the neighbourhood and develop social networks for older residents.

May 2013


What?

Why?

When?

Set up a neighbourhood facebook page.

To encourage a different type of dialogue between residents with each other and with staff.This will help with regards to reporting, supporting and discussion.

May 2013

Consider the feasibility of setting up a communal garden or network of gardens as part of a community garden club or project run by community volunteers and New Charter teams.

To improve the appearance of communal areas, develop gardening skills and interest, build community relationships and develop the community’s ability to work on projects with others.

May 2014

Hold weekend community information events or fun days 4 times a year and hold seasonal activities at Easter and Halloween; working closely with the school on these events in terms of venues and timings.

Io improve the neighbourhood appearance April 2013 and increase community spirit, building positive relationships with neighbours and increasing the communities knowledge of what services and opportunities are available.

We aim to... Increase customer led monitoring of issues by getting the ‘customer eye’ view.

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What next? Great progress we hope!! Work has already begun in your neighbourhood on the various actions outlined in Your Great Neighbourhood Charter as well as in our other 31 New Charter neighbourhoods. We would like the Great Neighbourhood Charters to mark the start of a new phase of activity aimed at ensuring that all our neighbourhoods are the great places that we all want and know they can be. We will be reviewing the Charter frequently this year and we will keep you updated on the progress, you will have the opportunity to be involved in this so please watch out for advertised activities or requests for feedback. However there is no need to wait until then‌ if after reading this you have any questions comments or suggestions or if you would like to get more involved in helping us identify what we could achieve in your neighbourhood please contact us and give us your thoughts. You can do this by ringing 0161 331 2000 or contacting us via your preferred method, we can also arrange for someone to call and visit you in your home if you would prefer, we would really like to hear from you.

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Neighbourhood Fact File Here are some facts and figures about the people and properties that make up your neighbourhood which we thought you may find interesting.

Number of properties owned by New Charter =

542

Properties by type

Houses

301

Bungalows

8

Flats

223

Black Minority Ethnic

3.06%

Under 16

19.41%

55+

30.11% 18 - 25

16.83%

Number of residents =

1046 25


Final Thoughts We hope that over the next three years through the actions outlined in your Great Neighbourhood Charter we will really make a visible difference to your neighbourhood, making it more attractive for those living or thinking of living in it and improve residents’ quality of life. We think the key to success will be to continue to work together with you to achieve this.

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Contact us Main switchboard: 0161 331 2000 Emergency housing & repairs calls: 0800 027 0828 If you need an emergency repair during the following times: - Before 8am and after 6pm Monday to Friday - During weekends and Bank Holidays Antisocial behaviour helpline: 0800 027 0522 (24 hours a day)

@ contact@newcharter.co.uk www.newcharter.co.uk newchartergroup

Home and Community Hubs 2 Henrietta Street, Ashton 9 Albert Street, Denton 12 Clarendon Street, Hyde 63 Grosvenor Street, Stalybridge

Head office:

New Charter, Cavendish 249, Cavendish Street, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7AT

@newchartergroup

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Resource Housing Reg. No. 2111


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