Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter Stalybridge 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. 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 Stalybridge Central neighbourhood is located around Stalybridge town centre and is within easy walking distance of the various local amenities which include supermarkets, shops, chemists, doctor’s surgeries, medical centre, take away food outlets and bars; with Tameside General Hospital only a short distance away. The town centre is also host to Stalybridge library, the Civic Centre and a number of churches.The neighbourhood benefits from excellent public transport services which include regular daytime bus links and is also ideally located for fast and easy access into Manchester city centre via Stalybridge train station. The New Charter Stalybridge Home and Community Hub is also situated within the neighbourhood providing information and advice to customers throughout the borough. As well as excellent transport links and access to services, there are also a number of parks and open spaces including Cheethams Park and Eastwood Nature Reserve which are located close to the town centre.The Huddersfield narrow canal is also a key feature of the neighbourhood, running
through the centre of Stalybridge; the canal was the subject of a two year multi million pound refurbishment at the turn of the millennium and is a focal point for a number of events throughout the calendar year. The neighbourhood consists of one and two bedroomed low and high rise flats, two and three bedroomed family houses plus a number of acquired houses; Richmond House situated on Grosvenor Street is one of our sheltered schemes which benefits from the services of a full time scheme manager and there are several garage sites dotted across the neighbourhood. Harvest Housing Group; another Registered Provider also own a small number of properties within the neighbourhood and a significant number of residents own their own properties.The area has seen a recent increase in private rented redevelopments, a number of which have seen the renovation of old cotton mill buildings, a popular feature in the town as a result of the early industry in the area. The future looks bright for Stalybridge Central with plans being put in place for a new market rent development at the old Casablanca site on Armentieres Square.This site has been an eyesore in Stalybridge for far too long and New Charter intend to develop a multi-purpose facility including housing and commercial space of the very highest standard.This will be a flagship scheme for New Charter and we are pleased to be leading on this work in the heart of one of our communities. There are two primary schools within the neighbourhood; Gorse Hall Primary School and St Peter’s Catholic Primary School and two High Schools West Hill School and Copley Academy; of which New Charter is the main sponsor, which sit adjacent to the neighbourhood boundary.
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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.
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.
Astley Street Bangor Street Beechwood Avenue Beechwood Lane Castle Hall Court Castle Hall View
Cheethams Park Clarence Street Grosvenor Street Leech Street Queens Place Reyner Street
Richmond House, Grosvenor Street Springbank Stamford Avenue Stamford Close Stamford Drive
Stamford Street Thompson Court, Thompson Fold Wakefield Road West Hill Close
% 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 quite high and indicates that properties do have some issues in terms of maintenance costs and the need to regularly replace components. Property damage is also an issue in some homes.
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 a significant number of people who move into the neighbourhood may only stay in their homes for a relatively short period of time. Although this varies across the neighbourhood it does indicate that many people are not as happy living in the neighbourhood as they could be and a significant number choose not to stay in the long term.
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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 except for an occasional incident, New Charter residents treat each other with respect and behaviour within the community is relatively good. 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 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. 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 The neighbourhood has significant problems with employment levels compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.This indicates that many people in the neighbourhood are having difficulty accessing the jobs market and a significant number 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 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. Access to services 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 stop it being 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 The neighbourhood as a whole is a good place to live and does not have many general management issues, however it does have some hotspot areas. Antisocial behaviour is not a major problem generally but there are issues in some areas in terms of youths congregating in communal or shared areas and consequent nuisance behaviour and damage. Other issues are in terms of complaints from some blocks of flats, mainly a result of communal living and inconsiderate behaviour relating to tenancy conduct and excessive noise. Demand for properties is generally good across all areas although some parts of the neighbourhood are harder to let due to the condition of communal areas and smaller living space and turnover can be more frequent with people only remaining in them for a relatively short time. Poor fencing and boundary condition is a problem in some areas which is compounded by parking and mechanical work being carried out in the streets. Both of these affect the appearance and feel of the neighbourhood. Many trees and shrubs are overgrown around the neighbourhood and there are issues with the condition of roads and areas close to some garage sites.There is also a problem of fly tipping in particular areas.
Some blocks of flats would benefit from improvements to the communal lighting, fencing and stairwell decoration.
The Neighbourhood team works well with the Thompson Court Forum and they are hoping to establish closer relations with the Heyrod Residents Group. The team also feels that it would benefit from more feedback from residents across the neighbourhood to help it improve the way services are delivered and priorities determined.
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What you told us
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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. On a more positive note the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: good access to shops and amenities, friendly neighbours and great transport links; particularly the bus service. The concerns identified about living in the neighbourhood were: drug and alcohol related disturbance from the town centre spilling over into the neighbourhood, with people walking through or congregating in some areas, noise from neighbours, traffic noise and congestion. People raised specific issues with us about: The need for more children’s play facilities A lack of mums and toddlers groups The need for enforcement around non-resident parking The need for a window cleaning service Poor condition of pavements Increased CCTV coverage The laundry facilities need improving and upgrading in some areas Dog fouling in communal areas A lack of dog wardens The need for a Citizens Advice Bureau service ImprovedTV style intercoms More broadly people saw lack of access to adult education, employment, community facilities and a lack of drop in services as issues of direct impact to the neighbourhood. Lack of childcare services was highlighted as big issue but only in some areas.Whilst town centre leisure facilities were good, a lack of things to do for young and older age groups was highlighted.
The best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: good access to shops and amenities, friendly neighbours and great transport links; particularly the bus service. 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, mental health, alcohol abuse and underage drinking. Provision of the right kind of services for young families with children and for older people in their homes is a particular area of focus. Rates of teenage pregnancy in some parts of the neighbourhood are relatively high. 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.There are also issues relating to drug and alcohol misuse; with the design and layout of some parts of the neighbourhood making some areas more vulnerable to this kind of crime. Levels of unemployment are significant in 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. 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.
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Development of more town centred business activity was also seen as important for employment opportunities. More generally early years provision is seen as inadequate as is the provision of children’s activities. There are also some isolated families with children who need additional help due to lack of extended family support. Access to services generally is seen as good in the neighbourhood although more focused services may be useful particularly in terms of signposting and advice services linked to employment and more tailored support services.
What we saw together: Some specific areas have significant litter issues Refuse bin storage is orderly and recycling is not a problem Non-resident parking causing congestion at Castle Hall View Youths congregating near Leech Street
Fly tipping in some specific areas lessened by provision of large communal bins people can easily access Condition of some shared areas is poor in terms of fencing and landscaping Poor appearance of garage sites and access roads leading to them Poor appearance around the shops
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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 surveillance of youth related nuisance and congregation in communal areas and develop a more general policing plan targeting more serious alcohol and drug antisocial behaviour (ASB) disturbance which occurs due to the neighbourhood proximity to the town centre.
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.
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
Review current facilities and activities for both young and older residents withTameside 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 ensure people can access advice and drop in services.
January 2014
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 ensure people can access advice and drop in services.
January 2014
Work in partnership withTMBCYouth Services and New CharterYouth team to develop diversionary activities with young people.
To reduce the level of antisocial behaviour from youths by providing positive activities and links to other services.
March 2014
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.
December 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 years 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
Work with partners to increase signposting of residents to health advice and services.
To improve the health of residents in the neighbourhood and the support available.
June 2013
Consistently signpost and refer customers and their families to training and income advice services.
To increase individuals opportunities of gaining employment and maximising income.
March 2013
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What?
Why?
When?
Undertake a review of the condition of pavements and roads withTMBC to identify any improvement works needed.
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood and the experience for residents walking and driving around it.
October2013
Work with TMBC to improve the lighting and security in communal areas which make residents feel insecure or encourage congregating.
To improve the feeling of security in the neighbourhood.
March 2014
Work in partnership with TMBC to improve the activities of the environmental patrollers targeting dog fouling.
To reduce the level of dog fouling in the neighbourhood.
July 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.
December 2013
Focus additional resources on trees and overgrown shrubs and review long term tree maintenance issues.
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood.
May 2013
Continue to work withTMBC to provide communal bins in accessible areas.
To reduce incidents of fly tipping and littering in the neighbourhood.
January 2014
What?
Why?
When?
Work in partnership with TMBC Education Services to promote awareness campaigns in schools regarding underage drinking and teenage pregnancy.
To improve the awareness of young people regarding health issues and their understanding of the impact of antisocial behaviour.
October 2013
Work in partnership with New Charter’s Development team and shop owners to develop the arcade of shops both in appearance and the landscaping around the area. Review the use of empty shops for community activities.
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood and increase community spirit.
October2013
We aim to... increase residents access to banking services, affordable credit and insurance.
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Tenancy
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What?
Why?
When?
Implement a sensitive letting approach to reduce lifestyle clashes thorough unsuitable lets; Streamline the lettings process and need based criteria for hard to let properties where this does not impact on sensitive lettings guidelines.
To maintain community stability by sensitive lettings, reduce turnover of properties once let, decrease neighbour disputes and reduce the length of time properties remain empty.
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.
April 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.
January 2013
Provide increased support to identified vulnerable residents and link them to support and advice services.
To help identified residents successfully manage their tenancy and reduce lifestyle clashes with other residents.
March 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Introduce a regular housing surgery in the neighbourhood.
To make it quick and easy for residents to access services and for neighbourhood issues to be 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... Help identified residents successfully manage their tenancy and reduce lifestyle clashes with other residents.
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Home
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What?
Why?
When?
Improve the security of doors and internal communal areas in blocks of flats that have experienced problems and undertake any identified works that may improve the appeal of properties that are hard to let.
To reduce nuisance in shared areas and improve the demand for properties.
March 2014
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 the appearance of properties and identify any specific work need to clarify fencing boundaries of some properties.
September 2013
Undertake a review of local play facilities provision in consultation with residents.
To ensure children have well placed safe places to play.
October 2013
Develop a programme for any improvement works required to New Charter communal areas and enhance lighting to improve the appearance of communal areas.
To increase feelings of security in the neighbourhood and the appearance of shared areas.
September 2013
Monitor continuing property improvement programmes to individual homes.
To improve the standard of homes in the neighbourhood and improve residents quality of life.
March 2014
Improve the condition of the access road to garage sites and review the condition of garages.
To improve the appearance the neighbourhood.
January 2014
Undertake a review of the improvements needed to the flooring, internal painting and stairwells of identified flat blocks.
To improve the appeal of properties and quality of life of existing residents.
December 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Develop an improvement programme for the external communal entrance door, internal communal doors and heating system for Thompson Court.
To improve the standard of homes in the neighbourhood and improve residents quality of life and security.
December 2014
Undertake a review of the communal laundry facilities to consider the requirement for upgrading and improvement.
To improve the standard of services and quality of life for residents.
November 2013
To improve the appeal of properties and quality of life of existing residents. 21
Involvement and empowerment
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What?
Why?
When?
Offer support to the Thompson Court Forum and Heyrod Resident Group to develop their activities.
To obtain detailed feedback from residents specifically on service and wider neighbourhood issues and collaborate with knowledgeable residents and work with them jointly on neighbourhood priorities.
March 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.
June 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 which affect older people in the neighbourhood and develop social networks for older residents.
May 2013
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
What?
Why?
When?
Consider the feasibility of linking up with 2nd Generation Furnishings to help new and existing residents furnish their properties.
To improve community access to affordable furniture, build community networks and develop community’s ability to work on projects with others.
May 2013
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.
June 2013
We aim to... Identify specific issues which affect older people in the neighbourhood and develop social networks for older residents.
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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 =
271
Properties by type Houses
98
Flats
173
Black Minority Ethnic
6.47%
Under 16
12.44%
55+
32.34%
18 - 25
13.43%
Number of residents =
402 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