Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter Stanhope St Annes
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 Stanhope St Annes neighbourhood is situated to the west ofTameside bordering Denton and Dukinfield and consists of several terraced properties, 1930’s semidetached houses and a number of maisonettes and flats. St Annes is situated adjacent to Stanhope and benefits from the same amenities; although similar in numbers to Stanhope, St Annes is in direct contrast.The properties are traditionally built two and three bedroomed homes with front and rear gardens and some small blocks of one bedroomed flats.The area is well designed with a green open space running along the back of Howard Street and St Annes Road. Highfield Street, Springfield Street and Howard Street consist of terraced two bedroomed properties with rear yards and are also situated adjacent to Stanhope benefiting from the same amenities. Stanhope comprises of 198 maisonettes; one, two and three bedroomed properties built from nontraditional materials.All the properties are occupied by New Charter customers and the neighbourhood benefits from full CCTV
coverage.The area is urban, with small green spaces dotted throughout the neighbourhood which have been thoroughly utilised by the Audenshaw Residents Association to grow fruit and vegetables for the community.There are play markings situated around the area to provide positive play for the children. There is a park close by on Cemetery Road with an excellent assortment of interesting play equipment as well a football pitch with full sized goal posts and a kick wall for football practice.There is also a smaller park at the end of St Annes Road which falls under the Denton ward, with play equipment and five-a-side goal posts. There is a thriving Neighbourhood Home and Community Hub where a variety of events are held as well as information surgeries, a youth club, a walking group,“cook and eat” and health care sessions. There are a few local shops within easy walking distance including a Post Office and general stores with larger chain stores situated a short distance away at Crown Point North.The community centre run byTameside Metropolitan Borough Council is situated on the junction of Denton Road and Shepley Road and sessions held there include dancing and bingo.There are local schools in the area to accommodate different age groups, Audenshaw High School and Poplar Street Primary School, there is also a children’s centre situated on the site of Poplar Street School. There are good bus links to Denton and Ashton and a train station approximately one mile away at Guide Bridge which has a direct link to Manchester.The nearest hospital is in Ashton, with access to doctors and dentists which are situated along Denton Road. 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.
Stanhope & St. Annes
Tame Street
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.
Aldwyn Close
Howard Street Audenshaw
Rowcon Close
Barnwell Close
Howard street Denton
Springfield Street
Cemetery Road
Oak Street
St. Annes Road
Cook Street
Pennine View
St. Hildas Road
Haughton Street
Pine Close
Wellington Street
Highfield Street
Progress Avenue
Werneth Street
Hope Street
Queen Street
Yew Street
% of current rent arrears
Average number of repairs
The neighbourhood has a relatively high level of rent arrears which means a number of households may be experiencing money management issues and be at risk of losing their homes. It is likely that a number of households may benefit from 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 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 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. Neighbourhood satisfaction
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
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
Household income
People in the neighbourhood experience high levels of crime and vandalism in relation to similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.This means that people do not feel as safe and secure as they should, living in and walking around many parts of 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 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.
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Employment
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 This neighbourhood has the potential to be a great place to live but is currently experiencing a number of issues that affect people’s overall quality of life and enjoyment.The main aim for this neighbourhood is to identify a range of activities, service and initiatives that will significantly improve people’s day to day living experience. 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 Generally the neighbourhood has significant problems with antisocial behaviour.The issues mainly relate to noise disturbance, neighbour disputes, disturbance caused by inconsiderate behaviour and unauthorised pet ownership; a large amount of which occurs in the blocks of flats.There are also more serious issues linked to drug related activity, substance abuse and domestic violence. Demand for the neighbourhood is variable with some properties being more difficult to let because of nuisance issues.This also affects the overall frequency at which people move in and out of the neighbourhood and can reduce the sense of community in some areas. More traditional houses in the neighbourhood are still in demand and easy to let. Dog fouling, fly-tipping and abandoned refuse bags are persistent problems and negatively affect neighbourhood appearance.There are also some fencing issues and a small number of overgrown patches of land which also have a negative impact as does the leaving of personal belongings on access balconies. In terms of property condition there are problems with a lack of floor covering in some flats and on several landings with floor covering becoming discoloured on open walk ways. New bathrooms and kitchens are also needed in some terraced properties.
The Neighbourhood team work closely with the local residents group who as well as being a key player in improving the neighbourhood, provide excellent feedback on neighbourhood services and resident priorities.The team would also like to work with the group to see how they can increase input from some more difficult to contact residents.
The Hub provides a very effective resource for drop in services and community activities for a large part of the neighbourhood population but there is a need for a larger centre for some activities.
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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 while people are positive about the area there are still some quality of life issues that people think need to be addressed. On a more positive note some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: the clean appearance, helpful neighbourhood service, caretakers, the residents group and friendly neighbours. The issues identified as about living in the neighbourhood were: noise levels in the flats, dog fouling, antisocial behaviour, drug dealing and poor access to shops. People raised specific issues with us about:The poor refuse bin provision A lack of police patrols The need for more children amenities The need for more local shops Improved access to none charging cash machines The need for a local doctor’s surgery The possibility of volunteers tidying up local areas Development of a Community cafe More broadly people saw lack of access to employment opportunities, adult education, library facilities and banking services as things that had a direct impact on the neighbourhood. A lack of places to eat and a lack of facilities for young people were also identified. 10
Some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: the clean appearance, helpful neighbourhood service, caretakers, the residents group and friendly neighbours. 11
What other organisations told us There are significant health issues in the neighbourhood compared with the rest ofTameside particularly in terms of higher mortality, drug and alcohol dependency and mental health illness; compounded by poor access to the right kind of health services and non-healthy lifestyles. Provision of the right kind of services for young families and children in parts of the neighbourhood is also a focus. Levels of teenage pregnancy are relatively high in some parts of the neighbourhood. Crime is a significant issue in many parts of the neighbourhood particularly in terms of criminal damage, drugs and car related criminality; with the design and layout of some parts of the neighbourhood making areas more vulnerable.There is also a concern about the rise in domestic violence in the area. Access to employment, training and poor educational attainment are barriers for people in the neighbourhood generally and have a particularly significant effect on young adults in the neighbourhood, with a number of agencies identifying poor links to employers, training providers and poor preparatory support. A variety of agencies think that young people in the neighbourhood also suffer more generally in terms of access to a range of facilities as well as a lack of personal development opportunities. It was also felt that more work in these areas would have a positive effect on youth related antisocial behaviour.
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There is thought to be a general lack of variety in terms of play facilities and activities for younger children and a lack of early years provision is also seen as a problem. There is an identified for more intensive family support services for a number of households who are experiencing problems. Household income is an issue for some families with agencies identifying problems with benefit dependency.Agencies thought there could also be problems for residents in terms of loss of income as part of Government’s welfare reform and an increase in debt issues.There were also concerns about loan sharking activities affecting some residents. Access to amenities is generally good in the neighbourhood and is complimented by a variety of drop in sessions, however access to shops locally is an issue in terms of variety.
What we saw together: Untidy strip of land behind garages on Pine Close Land to the rear of the greenhouse suite is used for fly tipping
Street lighting to pedestrian only areas is a persistent problem Lack of greenery and landscaping in flat areas
Land near Progress Avenue is overgrown and littered and there were some more widespread fly tipping on nearby bits of land
Stark green areas in the St Anne’s area which need improving
Problem with limited room for refuse bin storage
Fencing to Cook Street garage site need completing
Abandoned furniture in communal areas
Demolished garage sites need landscaping
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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?
Increase physical officer surveillance to complement enhanced CCTV surveillance in antisocial behaviour (ASB) hotspots.Working in partnership with the Community Safety team on a long tern ASB action plan.
To reduce the incidence of ASB in the neighbourhood and reduce property turnover in affected areas.
December 2013
Increase joint working with the Police on ASB visits to residents and police surgeries.
To reduce serious or persistent ASB issues by early intervention with the Police and increase deterrence for perpetrators.
December 2013
Work with Police and the Community Safety team on target hardening, surveillance of youth related nuisance, congregation in communal areas and develop a more general policing plan targeting domestic violence, drug and alcohol use, vehicle crime and crime against vulnerable groups.
To reduce levels of vandalism and increase feelings of security for customers who feel vulnerable to crime. Development of a long term crime prevention strategy will ensure consistent policing approach.
December 2013
What?
Why?
When?
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
Review the current facilities and range of activities for young people and children.
To provide a broader range of activities for young people and children and improve their quality of life.
October 2014
Increase the involvement of New Charter Youth team to develop diversionary activities with young people through outreach activities at established youth bases.
To reduce the level of antisocial behaviour from youths by providing positive activities and links to other services.
June 2013
Work in partnership with TMBC on refuse services, litter issues, open space maintenance standards and a joint review of the condition of pavements.
To improve neighbourhood appearance and kerb appeal.
February 2014
Undertake a joint review of childcare and early years provision withTMBC 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
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What?
Why?
When?
Work with partners to address dog fouling and increase the activities ofTMBC environmental patrollers to improve prevention and surveillance activity.
To reduce incidents of dog fouling in the neighbourhood and raise awareness of the issue in the community.
June 2013
Work with partners to increase signposting of residents to health advice and services, to include contraception advice, drug and alcohol support and health and fitness advisors.
To improve the health of residents in the neighbourhood and the support available.
July 2013
Consistently signpost and refer customers and their families to training, employment and money advice service.
To increase individuals opportunities of gaining employment and maximising their income.
March 2013
Work with partners and specialist agencies to provide debt advice and access to basic financial services.
To increase residents access to banking services, affordable credit and insurance.
March 2013
Review the range of activities, advice and drop in services from other agencies at the Hub.
To increase resident’s access to advice, drop in services and community activities and improve networking in the neighbourhood.
September 2013
Working in partnership withTMBC and New Charter’s Regeneration team to support and enhance a Job club in the Hub for training referrals and sign posting.
To improve access to employment, support in applying for jobs and training.
June 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Review the shopping and banking facilities with residents and service providers.
To identify where access to local shops and cash machines is needed.
August 2013
Work with partners to obtain access and use of a larger community centre close to the neighbourhood.
To maintain the capacity of the area and to support medium to large scale activities and community events.
October 2014
We aim to... Reduce the level of antisocial behaviour from youths by providing positive activities and links to other services.
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Tenancy
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What?
Why?
When?
Apply the community contribution criteria from New Charter’s Allocation Policy to ensure 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 and reduce lifestyle clashes thorough unsuitable lets.
April 2013
Increase the use and targeting of neighbourhood mediation services for disputes.
To reduce neighbourhood disputes and improve neighbour relations.
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.
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 customers 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.
January 2013
Provide increased support to customers who may be experiencing drug and alcohol related problems.
To reduce levels of neighbour nuisance and disputes in properties and help identified residents to access health support and services.
September 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Hold 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.
February 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
Neighbourhood team to carry out monthly neighbourhood inspections (open to residents).
To provide regular monitoring of street level appearance and visible issues.
February 2013
Target customers 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.
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
We aim to... Reduce levels of neighbour nuisance and disputes in properties and help identified residents to access health support and services. 19
Home
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What?
Why?
When?
Develop a planting scheme near to the bungalows in the neighbourhood in locations where unauthorised games are played.
To reduce low level nuisance from street games in appropriate areas.
May 2013
Undertake a review the feasibility of drive ways for bungalows.
To improve parking congestion in the neighbourhood.
November 2014
Undertake a review of the internal flooring in the flats on Howard Street and completion of the planned flooring replacement in Stanhope flats.
To improve the quality of life for existing residents and the appeal of flats to prospective customers.
December 2013
Undertake a review of external communal area maintenance including pavements, access roads and shared walkways.
To identify any remedial work needed to improve neighbourhood appearance and the appeal of properties.
October 2014
Undertake a review of local play facilities provision in consultation with residents.
To ensure children have well placed safe places to play.
August 2014
Develop the landscape of the demolished garage site.
To improve neighbourhood appearance.
January 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 appearance and identify any specific work needed to clarify boundaries.
September 2013
Develop a kitchen and bathroom replacement programme for acquired properties.
To improve the quality of life for existing customers and improve the appeal of properties to prospective tenants.
April 2015
What?
Why?
When?
Develop a replacement programme of UPVC doors for the maisonettes to prevent crime related damage.
To improve the appearance and appeal of maisonettes.
Jan 2015
Undertake a review of refuse bin storage provision in flats.
To identify what can be done to reduce bin storage issues and improve the effect on neighbourhood appearance.
July 2013
To improve neighbourhood appearance.
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Involvement and empowerment
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What?
Why?
When?
Continue to work with the residents group and provide any support they require 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
Consider the feasibility of setting up a community cafe and shop as a social enterprise venture with interested residents.
To improve shopping provision for residents, generating access to facilities that support community activities, building community networks and developing the community’s’ ability to work on projects with others.
April 2014
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.
May 2013
Set up a neighbourhood improvement group with residents.
To ensure services are more customer and neighbourhood focused.
May 2013
Develop customer inspections on key customer identified issues.
To increase customer led monitoring of issues by getting the ‘customer eye’ view.
June 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?
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.
June 2013
Introduce DreamScheme work where youths help improve neighbourhood appearance or help other residents.
To build community cooperation and networks, increase community spirit and self-help and improve inter-generational links and respect.
January 2014
We aim 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.
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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 =
374
Properties by type Houses
99
Bungalows
73
Flats
27
Maisonettes 198 Black Minority Ethnic
7.55%
Under 16
55+
20.03%
27.29% 18 - 25
11.90%
Number of residents =
689 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