Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter Hyde 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 Hyde Central neighbourhood is not a contained area of properties but a neighbourhood which encompasses many smaller areas within Hyde and Hyde town centre itself. The neighbourhood is suburban and consists mainly of traditional terraced family houses and flats. A large number of residents own their own homes in the area and there are a number of terraced houses which are privately owned and let by private landlords. There are three popular schools in the area, St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Godley Community Primary School and Hyde Clarendon Sixth Form College. The New Charter properties within Hyde town centre include two high rise tower blocks; Chartist House comprising 93 flats and John Grundy House comprising 40 flats and a small number of acquired terrace properties dotted in and around the town centre.The rest of the neighbourhood extends to the Newton and Godley areas of Hyde where the properties are a selection of flats, bungalows, family houses and two sheltered accommodation schemes.
There are well established residents associations in the neighbourhood; the Walker Lane Residents Association and Rufford Avenue Residents Association; both of which hold a number of events and activities throughout the year bringing the community together and John Grundy House Residents Association.The resident associations hold coffee mornings, local meetings and resident involvement activities.Within the neighbourhood there are few green spaces and a community garden run by the Walker Lane Residents Association. Due to the close proximity of the neighbourhood to Hyde town centre, it benefits from well-appointed local shops and amenities which meet the needs of the community; these include a large post office, a primary health care facility, two major supermarkets and is within travelling distance of the local accident and emergency hospital. Hyde town centre also offers several banks, building societies, chemists, restaurants, a leisure centre offering swimming facilities and a local library. Hyde Police Station is also located in the town centre providing a dedicated local constabulary, Beat Manager and Police Community Support Officer presence. Access to public transport is exceptional; the neighbourhood is close to the railway station and there is a local bus service both to and from the town centre where a large modern bus station is situated in close proximity to the local doctor’s surgery and allows easy access to and from Manchester city centre.
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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.
Newton Flowery Field
Hyde Central
Gee Cross
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.
Bedford Avenue
Corona Avenue
Booth Street
Corporation Street
Chapel Street
Croft Street
Chartist House, Mount Street
Fleet Street
Commercial Brow
Grange Road North
Commercial Street
Fountain Street Higher Henry Street
John Grundy House, Howard Place John Shepley Street Lawton Street Mansfield Road Norbury Avenue
Oak Street
Thornley Street
Powell Avenue
Thorsby Avenue
Repton Avenue
Walker Close
Rufford Avenue
Walker Lane
Sidley Place
Welbeck Road
St. Johns Drive Syddall Street
% 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 across the neighbourhood is generally satisfactory but there is room for improvement. Some properties take longer to let indicating that some properties are not as popular as others and it can also take some time for people to be able to move into their new homes.
Tenancy turnover This shows that on average people who move into the neighbourhood tend to stay in their homes for a relatively long period of time.This indicates that people are happy living in the neighbourhood and it is a place they want to stay.
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% of live antisocial behaviour cases The neighbourhood has a low level of antisocial behaviour or neighbour nuisance cases.This indicates that apart from the occasional incident New Charter residents treat each other with respect and behaviour within the community is relatively good.
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.
Neighbourhood satisfaction
Education and skills
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.
The neighbourhood has quite poor levels of educational attainment and skills.This indicates that it may be difficult for people to access the training they may need to help gain employment or develop their existing career prospects.
Crime
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Employment
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 relatively good general health and disability levels compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside. However given the general trend towards living longer a significant number of people may experience mobility problems of one sort or another in their homes.
People in the neighbourhood have little access to shops and services near to their homes.This indicates that it can be difficult to shop for more than essentials or access advice or support, in or within a reasonable distance from the neighbourhood itself.
Neighbourhood overall star rating Overall the neighbourhood is a popular place to live offering people a good quality of life and access to good services and facilities.The main aim for this neighbourhood is identifying the right activities, services and initiatives that will help it remain like this and deal with any issues that do arise quickly.
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Local knowledge: Auditing your neighbourhood While 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 Antisocial behaviour is not a significant issue and is mainly confined to isolated incidents of inconsiderate behaviour and noise. However due to the dispersed nature of the neighbourhood non-resident groups of youths can sometimes pass through and cause disturbance, but this is not a frequent problem. Demand for properties is high for most properties in the neighbourhood and the frequency at which people move in and out of the neighbourhood is low. However it can on occasion take longer to let certain properties due to age restrictions and size. Car parking is a particular problem within the neighbourhood due to limited space which means residents often park on pavements and verges causing congestion and giving the neighbourhood an untidy appearance. There are a number of garage sites which are in poor condition and affect the appearance of the neighbourhood in some areas. Litter is also a problem in some parts as is fly tipping in a few more confined places. In terms of property condition there are some damp issues in a small number of ground floor flats.The entrance and lifts of the high rise flats need refurbishment and a number of fences need replacing in one area of the neighbourhood.
The Neighbourhood team works well with the established resident groups which are really helpful in terms of obtaining feedback to shape services and community priorities. However the team would benefit from more feedback from residents who they do not ordinarily have contact with to help further improve delivery of services.
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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 so despite there being some issues people were still really positive about the area and their quality of life. The best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: its central location, good access to shops, friendly neighbours, frequent bus service and the neighbourhood being generally quiet and secure. The issues people identified about living in the neighbourhood were: poor parking provision, traffic levels, cleanliness of some communal areas, conditions of fencing and the level of litter. People raised specific issues with us about:Inadequate refuse service and lack of recycling for flats A lack of a police presence Feeling unsafe in the subways to shops A lack of a neighbourhood hub A lack of a community centre A lack of facilities/events for older residents A social area is needed in the high rise flats Mobile advice services for older residents A lack of mums and toddlers groups A lack of a NeighbourhoodWatch group More things for young people to do More broadly people saw the lack of access to community facilities, drop in clinics, employment opportunities in the area and lack off childcare provision as factors which affected the neighbourhood.
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The best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: its central location, good access to shops, friendly neighbours, frequent bus service and the neighbourhood being generally quiet and secure. 11
What other organisations told us Health indicators in the neighbourhood are good compared to similar neighbourhoods in Tameside. However there are some issues around sedentary lifestyles which were highlighted. Provision of the right kind of services for older residents in their homes is a particular area of focus.There is also some concern about the relatively high number of young carers in the neighbourhood. Crime is seen as an issue in some parts of the neighbourhood in terms of antisocial behaviour mainly caused by people passing to and from the town centre or congregating near shops, but apart from this other kinds of crime are not seen as having a significant effect on residents. There is some concern about racial tension increasing in the area and some families feeling isolated. Levels of employment are relatively low in the neighbourhood largely due to the high population of older residents, access to training and subsequent employment is an issue with poor educational attainment levels compounded by a lack of signposting to training providers and preparatory support.Young people between the ages of 16 to 24 are disproportionately affected here.
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A number of households in the neighbourhood have low incomes and high levels of benefit dependency. Agencies also thought there could be problems for residents more generally in terms of loss of income as part of the Government’s welfare reform. More generally early years provision is seen as inadequate as is the provision of children’s activities.There are also a number of isolated families with children who need additional help due lack of extended family support. Access to services is variable and due to the wide spread of the neighbourhood some residents are nearer to shops and amenities than others. Also it is harder to access some of the more focused services linked to more tailored elderly support services.
What we saw together: Some specific areas have significant litter issues High level of litter on Norbury Avenue as well as some fly tipping Lack of parking provision on St John’s Drive and Marler Road A number of communal corridors need more intensive cleaning
Garage sites in very poor state and may need demolishing Visual clash between some private houses and new charter properties due to different types of alterations Youths congregating outside the leisure centre can be intimidating
Maintenance standard of communal gardens varies
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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?
Work with the Police and the Community Safety team on target hardening, crime prevention, surveillance of youth related nuisance and disruption caused as people pass through or congregate in the neighbourhood; especially around the edges of the neighbourhood near to town centre locations such as Hyde Leisure Centre.Work with partners to develop a more general policing plan targeting the antisocial behaviour (ASB) disturbance which occurs because of the neighbourhood’s proximity to the town centre.
To increase feelings of security for residents who feel vulnerable to crime and harassment and ensure a consistent policing approach by development of a long term strategy to reduce ASB and improve the quality of life for residents.
March 2014
Develop a neighbourhood wide Home Watch group with support from New Charter.
To increase the level of surveillance in neighbourhood and therefore increase the feeling of security and empowerment against crime.
June 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Review current facilities and activities for both young and older residents with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (TMBC) in addition to the provision of general community facilities, activities and services.
Identification of a broader range of facilities for both groups is needed to improve their quality of life and that of the community more generally and make sure people can access advice and drop in services.
June 2014
Work with partners to increase signposting of residents to health advice and services as well as a particular emphasis on provision of services to older people in their homes.
To improve the health of residents in the neighbourhood and the support available.
June 2013
CleanCare to increase targeting of fly tipping and litter in identified areas.
To improve the appearance of specific areas experiencing litter issues.
November 2013
Undertake a joint review of childcare and early year’s provision with TMBC teams.
To improve the quality of children’s support services in the neighbourhood and increase households ability to work full or part-time.
July 2014
Undertake a joint review with TMBC and residents on the quality of refuse collection service to include frequency of collection, recycling in flats and for older residents who find it difficult to move refuse bins around for collection.
To improve neighbourhood appearance, quality of life and develop long term joint working with TMBC.
December 2013
Consistently signpost and refer customers and their families to employment, training and advice services.
To increase individuals opportunities of gaining employment and maximise income.
January 2013
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What?
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Why?
When?
Work in partnership with TMBC where appropriate to develop clear service standards in relation to external and internal common areas and with CleanCare services in relation to communal areas.
To improve customer satisfaction with these services and develop complementary working with TMBC.
April 2013
Work with TMBC to review parking provision in the area and consider the possibility of converting grass verges and areas into more available parking spaces restricted for residents.
To improve parking provision for residents, improve neighbourhood appearance and relieve the congestion on the roads.
October 2014
Green Charter and CleanCare to help the Walker lane Residents Association maintain the community garden.
To provide day to day support to volunteers and maintain neighbourhood appearance.
March 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.
January 2014
To improve the quality of children’s support services in the neighbourhood and increase households ability to work full or part-time.
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Tenancy What?
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Why?
When?
Continue to apply a sensitive lettings approach to reduce lifestyle clashes thorough unsuitable lets.
To maintain community stability, reduce turnover of properties once let and decrease neighbour disputes.
April 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 identify and reduce unacceptable conduct.
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 residents.
September 2013
Make targeted calls and visits 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 residents whose home is at risk due to debt issues.
March 2013
Signpost and refer customers who may benefit from the help of New Charter’s Welfare Benefits Advice team.
To reduce the number of evictions for non-payment of rent and provide more help and advice on managing finances.
March 2013
Provide increased support to identified vulnerable customers and link them to specialist support and advice services as well.
To help identified customers successfully manage their tenancy and reduce lifestyle clashes with other residents.
April 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Rotate a regular housing surgery around different parts of the neighbourhood.
To make it quick and easy for residents to access services and ensure neighbourhood issues are dealt with.
October 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 identify and reduce unacceptable conduct.
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Home What?
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Why?
When?
Undertake a review of any additional parking New Charter can provide to complement the work carried out by TMBC.
To improve parking provision in the neighbourhood, reduce congestion on selected roads and increase quality of life for residents.
November 2013
Undertake a review of fencing and boundaries, including a review of fencing to communal areas.
To assess if existing fencing is adequate in terms of security and appearance of properties and identify any specific work need to clarify boundaries.
August 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
Develop a programme for improvement works required to New Charter communal areas and lighting to improve the appearance and security.
To increase feelings of security in the neighbourhood and improve the appearance of shared areas.
September 2014
Investigate the damp issue identified in the properties on St Johns Drive.
To improve the standard of homes in the neighbourhood and improve residents quality of life.
March 2014
Replacement of the lifts and improvements to the communal entrance and areas at John Grundy House.
To improve the standard of homes in the neighbourhood and improve residents quality of life.
May 2014
What?
Why?
When?
Complete the review of the condition of garage sites.
To improve the management, security and appearance of garage sites and improve parking provision.
September 2013
Consider the feasibility of converting identified studio properties into communal rooms in high rise blocks.
To provide an area for residents to meet and carry out activities as well as a space for agencies to use for drop in sessions.
October 2014
To ensure children have well placed safe places to play. 21
Involvement and empowerment What?
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Why?
When?
Continue to work with the regular residents groups 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.
January 2013
Ask interested residents 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.
March 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.
June 2013
Develop a focus group or coffee morning with older residents.
To identify specific issues that affect older people 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 setting up a community planting project where residents working with Green Charter identify areas of the neighbourhood that would benefit from additional planting of shrubs and organise a planting day; starting with the bottom end of Commercial Street.
To improve neighbourhood appearance and allow the community to target areas they think are a problem and to build a sense of community spirit.
April 2013
Hold weekend community information events or fun days 4 times a year and hold seasonal activities at Easter and Halloween.
To improve the neighbourhood appearance and increase community spirit, building positive relationships with neighbours and increasing the community’s knowledge of what services and opportunities are available.
April 2013
We aim to... 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. 23
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 =
447
Properties by type Houses
131
Bungalows
76
Flats
270
Black Minority Ethnic
6.81%
Under 16
11.75%
18 - 25
55+
48.87%
8.81%
Number of residents =
749 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