Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter Springs
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. To create great communities we would like everyone to work together to decide how their local neighbourhood should develop and grow in the future and to improve on the services they don’t like and maintain those that they do. To make sure this happens we have produced a neighbourhood plan for each of New Charter’s 32 newly defined neighbourhoods and this one is yours. The plan will run for 3 years 02
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 address them. We want to focus all our efforts on making sure you have a great place to live so we will be working just as hard with a range of other organisations on some of the wider issues such as employment and crime. Remember, you are the experts in what it’s like to live in your neighbourhood and you will be our most important partner of all.
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 Springs neighbourhood is located within fifteen minutes walking distance of Stalybridge town centre with a regular and accessible bus route to the local towns of Stalybridge and Ashton. The neighbourhood contains a mixture of semi-detached houses, two storey flats, bungalows and two sheltered schemes, Kendal House and Beaumont Place; a specialist housing scheme for residents with learning difficulties and mental health problems. New Charter owns a large number of the properties in the area although there are a significant proportion of owner occupied properties and a large private housing estate which borders Springs.The neighbourhood has a limited number of green spaces which are managed by Green Charter; New Charter’s grounds maintenance team. There are a few local shops situated in the neighbourhood; however larger shops, supermarkets and the amenities expected to be found in a larger town can be found in Stalybridge town centre.The neighbourhood has excellent access to the local hospital which is close by.
There are two primary schools in the neighbourhood: Silver Springs Primary Academy which is part of the New Charter Great Academy EducationTrust and Arlies Primary School. Funding has been awarded to Silver Springs Primary Academy through the national Priority School Building Programme to ensure the relevant renovation works which have been identified can be carried out to the school.There are also two high schools located just outside Springs; Copley Academy which is also part of the New Charter Great Academy EducationTrust and West Hill High School.Weekly housing advice and drop in sessions take place at the Silver Springs Academy and the Children’s Centre is also conveniently based at the side of the Academy.The neighbourhood also benefits from an active residents group(RASH)who are involved in organising a number of community events throughout the year and also have a history of charitable work. Springs, alongside the Hague neighbourhood falls within the wider geographical area of Ridge Hill which has recently been awarded a £1million funding grant from the Big Lottery.Work is currently underway in the neighbourhood in respect of the Big Local Scheme and local residents and stakeholders will soon form the Ridge Hill Big Local Partnership with the ultimate goal of ensuring the £1m is invested in the community, by the community with the aim of improving the neighbourhood and the lives of those people who live there.This is an extremely exciting time for the neighbourhood and will create a number of opportunities for local residents to get involved in events and decision making which will impact on the future of the area. 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.
Springs
Hague
Stalybridge Central
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.
Ambleside
Keswick Close
School Crescent
Beaumont Place, Stephens Road
Lake Road
Springs Lane
Coniston Drive
Mereside
Springs Rise
Glent View
Park Close
Stephens Road
Hawkshead Close
Park Rise, Springs Lane
The Close
Kendal House, Ambleside
Rydal Walk
Windermere 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
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.
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
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% of live antisocial behaviour cases The neighbourhood experiences some antisocial behaviour or neighbour nuisance cases.This indicates that while the majority of New Charter residents treat each other with respect there are some incidents that do occur that have a negative impact on people’s ability to relax and feel secure in their homes.
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
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.
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.
Crime
Household income
People in the neighbourhood experience significant levels of crime and vandalism in relation to other neighbourhoods in Tameside.Whilst levels of crime could not be described as high people do not feel as safe and secure as they should living in and walking around some parts of the neighbourhood.
The neighbourhood has quite low levels of family income compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.This indicates that a significant number of families may suffer the effects of deprivation and have difficulty in making ends meet.
Neighbourhood satisfaction
Health 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.
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Employment
Access to services 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 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 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 an issue in some parts of the neighbourhood mainly in terms of youths congregating, causing nuisance and damage to cars. There has also been issues with noise and inconsiderate behaviour in several flats and some occasional problems with drug related activity. The frequency at which people move in and out of the neighbourhood is variable so whilst it is easy to let most houses some smaller flats and studios can be harder to let and people tend not to remain long term. Overall demand for the neighbourhood is good. The appearance of the neighbourhood is generally good with the main issue affecting it being regular fly tipping on the garage sites near to School Crescent. The appearance of garage sites generally need to be improved in the neighbourhood. Parking is an issue in some areas which can cause annoyance and visible congestion for residents. Several properties are also more vulnerable to burglaries and need to be made more secure due to criminals targeting certain areas and properties. The Neighbourhood team also thought that many of the green areas were underused and had potential for children’s play areas.
The Neighbourhood team liaise with the independent resident group in the area and work with all partners.The team feels there are insufficient opportunities for residents to provide regular feedback to New Charter which would help them shape future services for the neighbourhood. Some blocks of flats would benefit from improvements to the communal lighting, fencing and stairwell decoration.
Good child care services and support based around the local school really help young families in the area.
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What you told us
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On average the residents we spoke to rate the neighbourhood 8 out of 10 as a place to live. So while they are positive about the area there are still some quality of life issues that residents think need to be addressed. On a more positive note some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: good neighbours, cleanliness, appearance, generally peaceful atmosphere and good transport links. The concerns identified about living in the neighbourhood were: fly tipping and litter, the level of dog fouling, behaviour of young people when in groups and parking. Residents raised specific issues with us about: Untidiness left after grass cutting Poor road conditions A lack of a youth club for older children Increased shopping provision Improved access to cash machines Poor condition of fencing Development of a community cafe and shop as a place to eat and meet Turning green spaces into parking A lack of a New Charter office in the neighbourhood More broadly people wanted better access to walk in clinics as well as employment and benefit advice services. Access to computers and adult education was also seen as an issue.There was a significant emphasis on the need for community based leisure and fitness facilities. Concerns about the lack of shops and a feeling of isolation were also quite prominent. One of the biggest issues though was access to older person support services.
Some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: good neighbours, cleanliness, appearance, generally peaceful atmosphere and good transport links. 11
What other organisations told us Health indicators in the neighbourhood compare well with other similar areas in terms of mortality and disability rates; there are however issues with sedentary lifestyles and teenage drinking. Provision of the right kind of services for young families and children is a particular area of focus as is more home based services for older people. Levels of teenage pregnancy are relatively high in some parts of the neighbourhood. Crime is an issue within the neighbourhood with problems around low level antisocial behaviour, criminal damage, burglary and vehicle crime. Lack of crime prevention measures is seen as an area for focus as well as more targeted policing. Access to employment, training and poor educational attainment are barriers for some residents in the neighbourhood and have a significant effect on young adults with potential issues around poor links to employers, training providers and poor preparatory support. Older children in the neighbourhood lack access to facilities as well as suffering from a lack of personal development opportunities. More work in this field, adding to some of the current work being undertaken is seen as important in helping address youth nuisance.
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There are also some more isolated young families with children who need additional help due to the lack of extended family support. Household income is an issue for a number of households with agencies identifying problems with benefit dependency for some. Agencies thought there could also be problems for residents in terms of loss of income as part of the Government’s welfare reform and an increase in debt issues. Access to many mainstream services and amenities is poor due to the location of the neighbourhood; better access and signposting is needed.
What we saw together: Appearance is generally good with green areas and trees
Problems with dog fouling around Rydal Walk
Some grassed areas have a significantly high degree of littering
Lack of space to park in some areas
Evidence of systematic fly tipping in some areas Poor lighting outside the shops on Ambleside
Communal areas in flats are generally clean and tidy Area feels safe to walk around
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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 nuisance activity and youth congregation with increased staff presence and antisocial behaviour (ASB) contracts. Use CCTV surveillance in doorways and shared areas in identified flats where specific issues regarding nuisance and drugs have been identified.
Reduce incidents of ASB in the neighbourhood and reduce property turnover in affected areas.
December 2013
Work with the Police and the Community Safety team on target hardening, crime prevention and surveillance of low level nuisance and disruption caused for example by children playing in the street and develop a more general policing plan targeting burglary, vehicle crime and criminal damage.
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.
December 2013
Develop a neighbourhood wide Home Watch group with support from New Charter.
To increase the level of surveillance in the neighbourhood and therefore increase the feeling of security and empowerment against crime.
June 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Work with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (TMBC) Sports Trust on the provision of increased keep fit activities and facilities.
To improve health of residents in the neighbourhood.
June 2014
Review current facilities and activities for young residents withTMBC in addition to the provision of general community facilities, activities and services.
Identification of a broader range of facilities is needed to improve their quality of life and that of the community more generally and make sure residents can access advice and drop in services.
April 2014
Undertake a review of potential community venues and consider the feasibility of providing more space for community activities.
To ensure the neighbourhood has sufficient venues to host community activities and drop in services.
October 2013
Increase the involvement of the New Charter Youth team to develop diversionary activities with young people through outreach activities and activities at an established youth base and continue to work withTMBC to increase youth provision.
To reduce the level of antisocial behaviour from youths by providing positive activities and links youths to other services.
July 2013
CleanCare to increase targeting of fly tipping and litter in identified areas.
To improve the appearance of specific areas experiencing litter issues.
July 2013
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What?
Why?
When?
Link with existing TMBC and MINT (Money Information Network Tameside) services to provide financial advice and refer identified residents who may find this helpful.
To increase residents access to banking services, affordable credit and insurance.
April 2013
Work with partners to increase the signposting of residents to health advice and services. In addition work with the Local Health Board to look at the provision of additional services to older residents in their homes and education in schools regarding underage drinking and teenage pregnancy.
To improve the health of residents in the neighbourhood and the support available to them.
January 2014
Consistently signpost and refer residents and their families to training and income advice services with a particular focus on 18-25 year olds.
To increase chances of employment and maximising income.
April 2013
Undertake a review of the provision of cash points and shopping provision in the area.
To identify ways to improve access to cash and shopping provision locally.
June 2014
Work with TMBC to review the lighting outside local shops.
To improve residents feelings of security in the neighbourhood.
July 2014
Work in partnership withTMBC to improve the activities of the environmental patrollers targeting dog fouling.
To reduce the level of dog fouling in the neighbourhood.
July 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Work with residents on clear service standards for environmental services working with TMBC where relevant.
To improve customer satisfaction with these services and develop complementary working with TMBC.
April 2013
Work in partnership with stakeholders on initiatives identified in their plans that will help improve the neighbourhood; with particular reference to the development of the Ridge Hill Big Local Journey and the overall Ridge Hill regeneration plan.
To improve services and maximise input into the neighbourhood from other service providers.
June 2013
We aim to... Ensure the neighbourhood has sufficient venues to host community activities and drop in services.
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Tenancy
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What?
Why?
When?
Introduce a sensitive and tailored lettings approach for properties with a high turnover.
To maintain community stability, reduce turnover of properties once let and decrease neighbour disputes and reduce lifestyle clashes thorough unsuitable lets.
April 2013
Increase the use and targeting of neighbour mediation services.
To reduce neighbour disputes and improve neighbour relations.
June 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.
March 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.
March 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
Continue to deliver the Key toYour Door programme for customers under 35 in terms of ensuring their readiness for tenancy and to identify any support required.
To reduce the potential for lifestyle clashes and unsuccessful conduct of tenancies.
April 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.
April 2013
What?
Why?
When?
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.
April 2013
Continue with regular housing surgeries in the neighbourhood.
To make it quick and easy for residents to access services and for neighbourhood issues to be dealt with.
March 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... Reduce the potential for lifestyle clashes and unsuccessful conduct of tenancies.
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Home
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What?
Why?
When?
Improve the appearance, security and appeal of identified properties which are difficult to let.
To improve demand for properties, neighbourhood appearance and reduce nuisance in shared areas.
March 2014
Review the improvement programme for identified garage sites.
To improve the security and appearance of garage sites, parking provision and reduce littering and fly tipping.
September 2013
Undertake a review of local play facilities provision in consultation with residents with consideration of converting some green spaces into play spaces.
To ensure children have well placed safe places to play.
October 2013
Develop a programme of enhanced security measures such as lighting and door chains for bungalows in the neighbourhood.
To increase the feelings of security in the neighbourhood.
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 and identify any specific work need to clarify boundaries.
March 2014
New properties to be built on Rydal Walk.
To improve choice of and access to family housing in the neighbourhood.
March 2014
What?
Why?
When?
Improvement works to be carried out to sheltered schemes: i.e. painting programme, new internal doors and heating systems.
To improve the quality of life of existing residents as well as the condition and appeal of the accommodation.
December 2014
Undertake a review of parking provision for customers in identified streets working closely withTMBC. Consideration to be given to converting some green areas into parking.
To identify any additional parking provision required and potential options.
March 2014
To increase the feelings of security in the neighbourhood. 21
Involvement and empowerment
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What?
Why?
When?
Hold regular residents focus groups to discuss identified service issues.
To obtain detailed feedback from residents specifically on service and wider neighbourhood issues. Collaborate with knowledgeable residents and work with them jointly on neighbourhood priorities.
March 2013
Continue to support the residents group (RASH) to develop their activities.
To increase the help and support to experienced resident representatives as they work on community and neighbourhood issues.
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
Develop Friends of Springs Academy and the Children’s Centre.
To help local residents support the school and children’s centre through events and complementary activities.
August 2013
Develop customer inspections on key customer identified issues.
To increase customer led monitoring of issues by getting the ‘customer eye’ view.
March 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 feasibility of setting up a community cafe, shop, activity centre and youth club, run by community volunteers with initial support from New Charter teams.
Improve community and youth access to facilities, build community network and develop 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 Work closely with the local school on these events in terms of venues and timings.
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... Increase the help and support to experienced resident representatives as they work on community and neighbourhood issues. 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 =
487
Properties by type
Houses
168
Bungalows
84
Flats
229
Maisonettes 6 Black Minority Ethnic
4.55%
Under 16
17.75%
55+
34.93%
18 - 25
14.56%
Number of residents =
879 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 resident’s 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