Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter Waterloo and Lordsfield
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 Waterloo and Lordsfield neighbourhood is situated to the north of Ashton on the boundary with Oldham. The majority of properties in the Waterloo area are ground and first floor flats, a small proportion are studios and the remainder of the properties are family houses including a number of one bedroomed homes. The area comprises a mixture of New Charter properties, owner-occupied homes and private landlord-owned properties. The neighbourhood has a good range of local amenities within walking distance and there are good public transport links to the area with direct bus routes to Ashton, Oldham
and Manchester and Ashton railway station is within both walking distance or by a short bus journey. Across the neighbourhood, there are three primary schools, Canon Burrows, Canon Johnston and Waterloo; in addition is Thomas Ashton School, a primary and secondary centre for children with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.There is accessibility to a Social Services Resource Centre and Sure Start Centre providing advice and support to residents in the area. The neighbourhood benefits from Daisy Nook Country Park, Park Bridge and Hartshead Pike all of which are within walking distance. Daisy Nook is the name of an area of the Medlock Valley between Oldham, Failsworth and Ashton, popular for short walks, fishing and horse riding, with several stables nearby and a garden centre in the valley bottom. Park Bridge is a heritage centre and former ironworks and Hartshead Pike is a well known local landmark as it overlooks Ashton and is visible from many surrounding areas; it is a popular destination for walking. The Lordsfield area of the neighbourhood is within a fifteen minute walk from the town centre and comprises of a mixture of owner-occupied, New Charter owned and private landlord-owned properties. The properties are mainly family houses with a small number of newly developed flats and houses, a number of bungalows, ground and first floor age designated flats and handful of terraced properties.
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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.
Waterloo & #"'$&%(!$
Crowhill
Smallshaw & Broadoak
Hazelhurst
Hillgate, Hilton & Ladbrooke
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.
Alt Road Anglesey Close Anglesey Road Anne Close Ashurst Gardens Atlas Street Beech Mount Blucher Street Bromley Crescent
Cherry Avenue Cranbourne Road Cumberland Grove Downing Street Downshaw Road Elgin Street Elizabeth House, Elizabeth Street Elizabeth Street Gambrel Bank Road
Holland Grove Limehurst Avenue Lordsfield Avenue Lowland Grove Maiden Close Minto Street Newmarket Road Ney Street Northumberland Avenue
Oldham Road Picton Street Platting Grove Reins Lee Road Southway Store Street Tiverton Place Tree House Avenue Turner Lane
Watermill Court Wellington Clough Westmorland Avenue Wilshaw Grove Worthington Close Worthington Street Wrigley Street Yew Tree Close
% of current rent arrears
Average number of repairs
The neighbourhood has a relatively low level of rent arrears which indicates that households are not experiencing noticeable money management issues or are accessing support if they need it.
The average cost of repairs per property is significant and indicates that many properties have issues in terms of maintenance costs and the need to regularly replace components. Property damage is also an issue within the neighbourhood.
Average time to relet a property Generally the time it takes to let a property in the neighbourhood is too long which indicates a significant number of properties are proving to be unpopular. It can also take a relatively long 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 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 which have a negative impact on people’s ability to relax and feel secure in their homes. Neighbourhood satisfaction People’s general satisfaction with the neighbourhood as a place to live is good. Crime 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. Health The neighbourhood has significant health and disability levels compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.This indicates that a number of people may have mobility problems of one sort or another, need some long term medical support in their homes and feel quite isolated.
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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 The neighbourhood has relatively good levels of educational attainment and skills.This also indicates that people can access the training they may need to help them gain employment or develop their existing career prospects. Household income 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. Access to services People in the neighbourhood have access to some shops and services near to their homes.This indicates that it can be difficult to shop for more than essentials or acess a good range of advice or support in or close to 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 There are some neighbour nuisance issues in the neighbourhood mainly around noise and inconsiderate behaviour. Equally there can be some issues with youth related antisocial behaviour in one part of the neighbourhood but overall this is not a major issue. The frequency at which people move in and out of the neighbourhood is low and most properties are high demand.There is a slightly higher turnover of properties in the age designated schemes but this is not unusual. It is also slightly more difficult to let some of the smaller property types quickly.
Some age designated properties have been sold and are now rented privately which can cause some lifestyle clashes.
The appearance of the neighbourhood is good, the only real issue relates to poor fencing at the back of some of the houses in the Lordsfield area of the neighbourhood both with tenanted and owner occupied properties.
The Neighbourhood team do not currently work with an established residents group although they are working with some residents through a gardening group. It is felt there is a lack of regular input from residents on neighbourhood issues.
Parking is problematic in some parts of the neighbourhood There are issues in a small number of blocks with inadequate provision of communal refuse bins.There are also issues around the condition and appearance of some of the communal drying areas.
Good access to services via the Sure Start project.
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What you told us On average the people we spoke to rate the neighbourhood 9 out of 10 as a place to live.This shows that people are generally satisfied with the quality of life they experience living in the neighbourhood. On a more positive note some of the best features people identified about living in the neighbourhood were: cleanliness and the appearance of the neighbourhood, good community atmosphere, friendly neighbours, good access to local shops and amenities and a general feeling of safety. The issues that people identified about living in the neighbourhood were: parking problems, speeding cars, the level of dog fouling and problems with some privately rented properties. People raised specific issues with us about: Overgrown privets and hedges Grass clippings left after communal grass cutting Dustbins constantly left outside people houses A lack of youth club for older children A lack of play facilities for younger children A lack of access to computers A lack of social activities A lack of neighbourhood patrollers More broadly people wanted to have better access to Police in the area and many residents also expressed an interest in being able to give their views more regularly.
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Some of the best features people identified about living in the neighbourhood were: cleanliness and the appearance of the neighbourhood, good community atmosphere, friendly neighbours, good access to local shops and amenities and a general feeling of safety. 11
What other organisations told us There are significant health inequalities and issues in the neighbourhood compared with the rest of Tameside particularly in terms of higher mortality and disability rates due to the age profile of the population and non-healthy lifestyles.
Educational attainment and access to training in the neighbourhood is not a problem.
Crime is seen by partner agencies as a significant issue in the neighbourhood but this is mainly related to crime committed in the town centre which is close to some parts of the neighbourhood. Crime is not a massive issue for residents and issues relate more to people passing through the neighbourhood causing problems.
Road safety is seen as a significant issue in the area.
A variety of agencies thought that young people in the neighbourhood did not have access to enough development activities along side a general lack of leisure facilities for both children and teenagers. Household income is an issue for a number of households with agencies identifying problems with the level of worklessness and benefit dependency. Agencies thought there could be problems for residents in terms of loss of income as part of the Government’s welfare reform.
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Access to child and support services is generally good in the neighbourhood and is helped by the proximity of agency facilities.
Some residents are vulnerable and may need more support to take a more active part in the life of the community.
What we saw together: Well maintained grassed areas and open spaces Some parking congestion in specific areas Poor fencing provision in some areas Overgrow trees in some areas Some refuse bins on view in gardens which can affect overall neighbourhood appearance
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What do we need to do to make this a greater place? The aim of this section is to identify the activities needed to improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood based on what we have established and what you have told us. It’s effectively an action plan which shows what needs to be done in more detail.
Neighbourhood and community management
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What?
Why?
When?
Target low level antisocial behaviour (ASB) including nuisance and youth congregation by an increased staff presence and joint working with the Police in the specific areas identified. Monitor low level noise and other inconsiderate behaviour generally in the neighbourhood.
To reduce the incidence of ASB in the neighbourhood and improve resident’s quality of life.
October 2013
Joint working with the Police and the Community Safety team on target hardening, surveillance of communal areas and develop a more general policing plan targeting more serious antisocial behaviour linked to people passing through the neighbourhood from the town centre.
To reduce levels of vandalism, increase feelings of security and develop a long term crime prevention strategy with a consistent policing approach.
January 2014
Develop Home Watch groups in affected areas.
By increasing the level of surveillance in the neighbourhood this will in turn increase the feeling of security and empowerment against crime.
June 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Undertake an audit to identify potential community venues and look at the feasibility of providing more space for community activities.
To ensure the neighbourhood has sufficient venues to host community activities and drop in services.
June 2014
Working withTameside Metropolitan Borough Council (TMBC) review the current facilities for young people and identify the need for additional general community facilities, activities and services.
To identify whether a broader range of services for both groups is needed to improve their quality of life and that of the community generally.
October 2014
Work in partnership with TMBCYouth Services and New Charter’sYouth team to develop more diversionary activities with young people.
To reduce the level of antisocial behaviour from youths by providing positive activities and link youths to other services.
August 2013
Work on clear service standards for environmental services working with TMBC where appropriate.
To improve customer satisfaction with these services and develop complementary working with TMBC.
November 2013
Increase targeting and surveillance of refuse bags being discarded in parts of the neighbourhood.
To improve the appearance of specific areas experiencing litter tipping problems.
July 2013
Link up withTMBC and Money Intervention NetworkTameside (MINT) services to provide financial advice and refer identified customers who may benefit from these services.
To increase residents access to banking services, affordable credit and insurance.
April 2013
A joint review of childcare to be undertaken with TMBC teams.
To increase residents ability to work full or part-time.
December 2014
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What?
Why?
When?
Work with partners to increase signposting to health services and advice.Also work with Health Services to look at provision for older residents in particular.
To improve the health and quality of life for people in the neighbourhood especially older residents and increase the support they receive to enable more independent living.
June 2013
Develop a plan to consistently signpost and refer customers and their families to employment and income advice services. In addition work with partners to develop people’s employment readiness.
To increase resident’s opportunities of gaining employment and maximising their income.
March 2013
Work with TMBC to review parking provision within the neighbourhood generally.
To reduce parking problems and congestion by providing more parking availability.
December 2013
Work with the Community Safety team and TMBC to review the need for and possible options available in relation to road layouts and traffic calming.
To increase road safety and reduce speeding in the neighbourhood.
October 2013
Work with TMBC to improve lighting and security in the neighbourhood with particular reference to access points from the town centre and other areas which make people feel insecure or encourage congregating by youths.
To improve the feeling of security in the neighbourhood and limit the disruptive access from the town centre in the evenings.
March 2013
Increase the activities of TMBC environmental patrollers targeting dog fouling.
To reduce the level of dog fouling in the neighbourhood.
June 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Work with TMBC to review refuse bin provision and increase the number of communal bins especially around the flats within the area.
To reduce fly tipping, improve neighbourhood appearance and the quality of life for residents.
January 2014
Work with Green Charter to focus additional resources on overgrown shrubs, bushes, privets and trees.
To improve the appearance of the streets in the neighbourhood and reduce inconvenience in summer months.
May 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?
Consider relaxing the need related requirements for some difficult to let properties, where it would not impact on complementary or sensitive lettings.
To decrease relet time and create sustainable neighbourhoods.
April 2013
Increase tenancy and neighbourhood enforcement on activities that affect quality of life e.g. noise nuisance, garden maintenance and pet ownership.
To improve the quality of life for the majority of our residents as well as identifying and reducing unacceptable conduct.
June 2013
Undertake annual visits to older customers to assess any support or adaptations needs.
To maintain the quality of life and independent living for older residents.
September 2013
Provide increased support to identified vulnerable customers and link them to specialist support and advice services.
To help identified customers successfully manage their tenancy and reduce lifestyle clashes with other residents.
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 help and advice on managing finances.
March 2013
Hold regular housing surgeries within the neighbourhood.
To make it easier and quicker for customers to access services and ensure neighbourhood issues are dealt with promptly.
March 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Neighbourhood team to carry out quarterly neighbourhood inspections (open to residents).
To provide regular monitoring of street level appearance and visible issues.
February 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
Work with the Development team to consider buying privately owned properties in age designated blocks and areas and then relet these to age appropriate residents.
To reduce unsuitable lets and lifestyle clashes in the neighbourhood and help maintain residents quality of life.
October 2015
We aim to... Make it easier and quicker for customers to access services and ensure neighbourhood issues are dealt with promptly.
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Home
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What?
Why?
When?
Review the turnover issues in studios, smaller flats and age designated schemes and identify any improvements that would make these properties more attractive to residents to encourage them to remain in their properties.
To improve demand for these properties and reduce turnover.
July 2014
Review local play facilities provision in consultation with residents.
To ensure children have well placed safe places to play.
June 2014
Develop a programme to improve the condition of communal drying areas.
To improve neighbourhood appearance and quality of life for residents.
October 2013
Undertake a fencing and boundary review of the further work required in the neighbourhood.
To assess if the fencing is adequate in terms of security and appearance and acknowledge specific work needed to clarify boundaries.
June 2013
Work with TMBC on identified security works from the broader security review.
To increase feelings of security within the neighbourhood.
September 2013
Review the parking availability for customers in identified streets linking in with the wider review by TMBC.
To identify any additional parking space that is required and potential options.
January 2014
What?
Why?
When?
Review the number of repairs issues in the neighbourhood.
To identify if there are any underlying issues in term of buildings, components, design or usage that need to be addressed.
April 2013
Consider alley gating for identified properties working closely with TMBC on joint provision.
To improve the feeling of security for residents in identified areas.
March 2014
To identify any additional parking space that is required and potential options. 21
Involvement and empowerment
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What?
Why?
When?
Consider setting up a residents group with interested residents and continue to work with the gardening group providing any assistance requested.
To obtain detailed feedback from residents specifically on service and wider neighbourhood issues and work with them jointly on neighbourhood priorities.
May 2013
Ask interested customers to be street representatives whose role will be to report any issues they or other residents are concerned about in their street or the wider neighbourhood.The Neighbourhood team will also contact the street representatives once a quarter to check progress and provide support.
This will provide a way for customers to report any issues to staff and to have them addressed promptly.This will also help improve the day to day service.
June 2013
Develop a focus group or coffee morning with older residents.
To identify specific issues that affect older people in the neighbourhood and to develop social networks for older residents.
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?
Consider the feasibility of setting up a community cafe or activity centre and youth club, run by community volunteers with initial New Charter and TMBC Volunteering Services support.
To improve provision for young and older residents, generating access to facilities that support community activities, building community networks and developing the community’s ability to work on projects with others.
May 2014
Hold weekend community information events or fun days 4 times a year and hold seasonal activities at Easter and Halloween.
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... Identify specific issues that affect older people in the neighbourhood and to develop social networks for older residents. 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 =
627
Properties by type
Houses
317
Bungalows
28
Flats
282
Black Minority Ethnic
6.22%
Under 16
16.53%
55+
39.37%
18 - 25
13.18%
Number of residents =
1077 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