Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter Waterton and Fox Platt
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 Waterton and Fox Platt neighbourhood sits within the town of Mossley which is located in the upper section of the Tame Valley in the foothills of the Pennines, northeast of Ashtonunder-Lyne and east of Manchester; alongside the neighbouring towns of Stalybridge and Uppermill in Saddleworth. The Waterton area consists of a number of one bedroomed bungalows, one and two bedroomed ground, first and second floor flats and three, four and five bedroomed family houses and also includes Marsden Close; a sheltered scheme made up of twenty four studios.The Fox Platt area consists of one bedroomed ground and first floor flats, three bedroomed maisonettes and two and three bedroomed family houses.This neighbourhood is considered a desirable area to live with the majority of the family houses now privately owned and only approximately thirty of the houses still under
New Charter ownership.The area will soon see further investment as Boundary Close, which is situated on the outskirts of the neighbourhood is to benefit from a redevelopment of four bungalows and two family homes. The Neighbourhood Home and Community Hub is a well utilised valuable resource to the area and acts as a central base for a number of community events and various advice surgeries for both New Charter and many partner agencies.The neighbourhood has also recently seen the launch of a new residents group; Waterton Estate Residents Association and there are plans in place to further develop the group and increase opportunities for residents to become involved in the community. Within a five minute walk of both areas is a busy village with a range of local shops including a local store, chemist, doctor’s surgery, library, several churches, the local Community Police Station and a large children’s park including a popular skate park.There are four primary schools within easy reach of the neighbourhood: Livingstone Primary and Nursery School, Milton St John’s, St George’s and St Joseph’s. Approximately a mile from the neighbourhood is Mossley Hollins: considered to be outstanding High School.The neighbourhood benefits from good public transport links; there is a regular and reliable bus service and Mossley train station is situated close by.
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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.
Micklehurst
Waterton & Fox Platt
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.
Archer Street Boundary Close Brookside Curzon Street Egmont Street Fox Platt Road George Street
Hart Court Hart Mill Close Livingstone Avenue Manchester Road Marsden Close Old Brow Spring Street
Staley Road The Birches The Knoll The Vale Vernon Street Waterton Lane Wyre Street
% 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 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.
The neighbourhood has some problems with employment levels compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.This indicates that some people in the neighbourhood are having difficulty accessing the jobs market and may not be well qualified for the jobs that are available.
Neighbourhood satisfaction
Education and skills
People’s general satisfaction with the neighbourhood as a place to live is good.
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 People in the neighbourhood experience relatively low levels of crime and vandalism in relation to similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.Whilst not perfect, this does mean that people overall are likely to feel relatively safe and secure living in and walking around the neighbourhood. 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
Household income The neighbourhood has relatively good family income levels compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside. 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 access a good range of advice or support in or close to the neighbourhood itself.
Neighbourhood overall star rating Overall the neighbourhood is a popular place to live offering people a good quality of life and access to good services and facilities.The main aim for this neighbourhood is identifying the right activities, services and initiatives that will help it remain like this and deal with any issues that do arise quickly.
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Local knowledge: Auditing your neighbourhood While the indicators show us useful trends and point us in the right direction we need more local knowledge to identify some of the specific issues we need to address. To gather this information we have conducted a neighbourhood audit asking the people who live and work here to identify what they think the issues were.
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What our Neighbourhood team told us Overall the neighbourhood does not have many problems with antisocial behaviour, with issues mainly relating to inconsiderate behaviour. However there are some concerns in terms of noise from the local public house in the Fox Platt area as well as some more general problems with youths congregating in some areas. The frequency at which people move in and out of the neighbourhood is low and it is easy to let most properties. It can be more difficult to let the smaller studio properties but overall demand is high in the neighbourhood. The overall appearance of the neighbourhood is very good.There are some issues around fly tipping on an old garage site and levels of litter can be a problem at times. There are also issues in terms of overgrown pieces of land or land which is considered difficult to manage due to drainage or other issues.Whilst these are only in specific areas they can have an impact on the appearance of particular streets. There are also some property maintenance issues with certain bungalows and a block of flats which require longer term work to resolve.
The neighbourhood has an excellent Neighbourhood Hub which supports a number of activities including parent and child sessions and evening provision for older youths. In addition to support from specialist community staff, there are also floating support workers available to provide help and advice on a number of issues.The combined effect of this for the community is seen as very beneficial.
The Neighbourhood team work well with the community and acquire a lot of useful feedback and input from the Waterton Lane Forum. The team would also like to try to gain more feedback generally from residents; older residents in particular.
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What you told us
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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 identified about living in the neighbourhood were: peace and quiet, community spirit and togetherness, friendly neighbours, closeness to shops, being safe for children and the general location. The issues identified about living in the neighbourhood were: fly tipping in some areas, dog fouling and pet management, lack of play areas and alcohol related nuisance. People raised specific issues with us about:Fencing and enclosure for some communal areas in the front of some blocks of flats Poor refuse storage A lack of facilities for older children Poor drainage in open areas A lack of play facilities for younger children The need for the Hub to open more frequently The need for regular clean up days Door numbers can be difficult to follow in parts of the neighbourhood More broadly people see adult education and employment opportunities as a problem and would like better access to employment support services. There was an emphasis from residents on childcare services and community based leisure facilities, however support services for older people was not raised as an issue.
Some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: peace and quiet, community spirit and togetherness, friendly neighbours, closeness to shops, being safe for children and the general location. 11
What other organisations told us Health in the neighbourhood is relatively good compared to similar areas in Tameside in terms of mortality rates and disability rates.There are some issues around sedentary lifestyles as well as underage drinking. Provision of the right kind of services for young families and children is a particular area of focus. Levels of teenage pregnancy are relatively high in some parts of the neighbourhood. Crime is not a major issue in the neighbourhood but there are some problems with low level antisocial behaviour, burglary and vehicle crime. Continuing with crime prevention measures and neighbourhood surveillance is seen as crucial in keeping levels low. Employment levels are not a problem generally but access to employment and training are barriers for young adults in the neighbourhood with a lack of links to local employers being a particular issue. More generally the work currently being undertaken with young people in the neighbourhood via the evening youth facility is seen as key to reducing nuisance and improving employment levels. There is also a general lack of play facilities for younger children. Agencies think that the current early years provision is crucial in providing the developmental support required for children in the area and would like to see an expansion of activities if possible. 12
There are also isolated young families with children who need additional help due lack of extended family support. Household income is an issue for some households but overall levels compare well with other areas. However agencies thought there could also be problems for residents in terms of loss of income as a result of the Government’s welfare reform. Access to mainstream services and amenities can be variable due to the location of the neighbourhood; some drop in services via the Hub help to mitigate this but better access and signposting is needed.
What we saw together: Well maintained grassed areas and open spaces Poor condition of some fencing and walls to individual private properties in the neighbourhood High number of refuse bins left around the estate Poor lighting and security around Hart Mill Close and Lees Road Overgrown embankment near to the flats
Water logging of some communal grassed areas at the back of flat blocks or other shared areas Litter levels generally low Condition of shared communal areas around flats is really good High level of dog fouling Some untidy gardens in one area due to unclear boundary fencing issues
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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 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 related antisocial behaviour (ASB) disturbance, burglary 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 neighbourhood and therefore increase the feeling of security and empowerment against crime.
June 2013
Review current facilities and activities for older residents withTameside Metropolitan Borough Council (TMBC) in addition to the provision of general community facilities, activities and service.
Identification of a broader range of facilities for older groups is needed to improve their quality of life and that of the community more generally and to ensure people can access advice and drop in services.
January 2014
What?
Why?
When?
Continue to support the work of TMBC Youth Services and with New Charter’sYouth team develop new diversionary and development activities with young people.
To continue to reduce the level of antisocial behaviour from youths by providing positive activities and linking youths to other services.
August 2013
New Charter’s Regeneration, CleanCare, Green Charter, andYouth teams to develop with residents the currently overgrown communal garden at Waterton Lane into a space for community use.
To improve neighbourhood appearance, quality of life for residents and develop a sense of community by providing a focal point for the local community.
May 2014
CleanCare to increase targeting of fly tipping and litter in identified areas.
To improve the appearance of specific areas experiencing litter issues.
April 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
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What?
Why?
When?
Work with partners to increase links with Community Mental Health Services and signposting of people to health advice and services, especially for older residents.
To improve the quality of life for older residents and the general health of the neighbourhood and the support available.
September 2013
Consistently signpost and refer customers and their families to employment advice services.
To increase individuals opportunities of gaining employment.
April 2013
Work with TMBC to improve lighting and security across the neighbourhood in areas that make people feel insecure or encourage congregating.
To improve the feeling of security in the neighbourhood.
March 2014
Increase the activities of TMBC environmental patrollers targeting dog fouling.
To reduce the level of dog fouling within the neighbourhood.
August 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.
September 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Work with TMBC to review the refuse bin service.
To improve neighbourhood appearance and the quality of life for residents.
December 2014
Work with TMBC Education Services to promote awareness campaigns in schools about underage drinking and teenage pregnancy.
Improve young people awareness of health issues and understanding of the impact of antisocial behaviour.
September 2013
We aim to... Improve the appearance of specific areas experiencing litter issues.
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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, decrease neighbour disputes and reduce lifestyle clashes through unsuitable lets.
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.
October 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.
September2013
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 those whose home is at risk due to debt issues.
April 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.
September 2013
Continue with a regular housing surgery in the neighbourhood.
To make it quick and easy for residents to access services and ensure neighbourhood issues are dealt with.
February 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.
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... Make it quick and easy for residents to access services and ensure neighbourhood issues are dealt with.
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Home
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What?
Why?
When?
Consider the possibility of converting studios into one bedroomed flats.
To increase demand for these properties and reduce turnover of tenancies.
May 2015
Undertake a review of fencing and boundaries with additional attention to boundary fencing which limits access to homes from ASB hotspots.
To assess if existing fencing is adequate in terms of security and appearance and identify any specific work need to clarify boundaries.
May 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 improvement works and additional lighting identified for New Charter communal areas and blocks as part of the wider security review with TMBC.
To increase feelings of security in the neighbourhood and shared areas.
September 2014
Develop an improvement programme for the link bridge at Hart Mill Close.
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 the condition of garages.
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood.
June 2014
Working with the local community, review the options available to improve the condition of the embankment near Hartmill Close and related issues for ground floor gardens.
To improve the appearance of the affected area and quality of life for affected residents.
November 2013
Undertake a review of the improvements required to flooring, internal painting and stairwells in identified flat blocks.
To improve the appeal of properties and quality of life of existing residents.
November 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Improve lighting, security and condition of local garage site.
To reduce fly tipping, improve parking provision and increase neighbourhood security.
June 2014
Review the available options to improve drainage for the large number of waterlogged gardens in the neighbourhood.
To improve ability to use gardens and increase the quality of life for residents and their families.
August 2014
Review all options to improve refuse bin storage facilities for residents and investigate affordable solutions.
To improve the neighbourhood appearance.
May 2014
To improve the appearance of the affected area and quality of life for affected residents.
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Involvement and empowerment
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What?
Why?
When?
Continue to work with and further develop the Waterton Lane Forum.
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
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.
June 2013
Develop customer inspections on key customer identified issues.
To increase customer led monitoring of issues by getting the ‘customer eye’ view.
June 2013
Develop a focus group or coffee morning with older residents.
To identify specific issues that affect older people in the neighbourhood and develop social networks for older residents.
October 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
Expand the current recycling project to include the whole community on neighbourhood clean-up and action days and related events.
To improve intergenerational contact and a sense of community and give residents a leading role in respect of developing the environmental approach of all stakeholders in the neighbourhood.
October 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Work together with residents who have indicated they would like to develop a triangle of land in front of their flats as an area for children to play games like hopscotch, giant snakes and ladders. New Charter’s Regeneration and Resident Involvement teams to help with this project.
To improve children’s play area, develop a community group looking at children’s play and increase the community’s ability to work with New Charter to develop projects of interest to the community.
March 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... 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. 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 =
321
Properties by type
Houses
91
Bungalows
37
Flats
188
Maisonettes 5 Black Minority Ethnic
4.51%
Under 16
19.76%
55+
34.32%
18 - 25
11.79%
Number of residents =
577 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