Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter Yew Tree
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.
is yours. The plan will run for 3 years and will be reviewed annually with residents to assess our progress.
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.
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.
To make sure this happens we have produced a neighbourhood plan for each of New Charter’s 32 newly defined neighbourhoods and this one
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.
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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... TheYewTree neighbourhood is located in the Dukinfield area ofTameside, situated off Cheetham Hill Road; it is a suburban area consisting of a relatively even mix of semi-detached properties and terraced family houses, brick built and constructed in a range of styles. The only concentration of one bedroomed bungalows in the area is to be found on Lodge Close, which itself is unique to the neighbourhood as it appears to have been designed with cars in mind as parking areas are plentiful; the rest of the area is an example of a design prior to the rise in car ownership with more limited parking.The neighbourhood benefits from two residential homes, the Beeches andYewTrees, both owned by Meridian Health Care; although these schemes are not New Charter properties they do allow residents to remain in close proximity to their families and neighbours.The main entrance to the neighbourhood isYewTree Lane, but in essence the majority of the neighbourhood is a large cul-de-sac with no through road.
Whilst New Charter owns a significant number of properties in the area, around 40%, the Right to Buy process has had a huge impact on the number of properties available to rent and on the social makeup of the area. The area benefits from a row of shops at the centre of the neighbourhood; with a small number of low rise maisonettes situated above.These include a greengrocer, takeaway outlet, bakers and a florist and are used regularly by the school children and residents.There is a Surestart Centre adjoining the local Primary school;Yew Tree Community Primary School, located by the entrance to the neighbourhood. The high school Astley Sports College is within 100 yards which can lead to parking issues and traffic congestion during school times. The neighbourhood has a large number of green spaces and fields in comparison to other areas inTameside and is also next to numerous playing fields and a local golf course.The sports college acts as a community centre, sports venue and gym and has good links to the local residents group. The neighbourhood has good daytime bus links to local town shopping centres such as Hyde Stalybridge and Ashton with regular bus services throughout the day, and a reduced service into the night.
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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.
Clarendon Fields
Gorsehall Armadale Yew Tree
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.
Buckingham Drive
Coronation Avenue
Meadway
Windsor Drive
Cheetham Hill Road
Kingsway
Mountbatten Avenue
Yew Tree Lane
Chester Avenue
Lodge Close
Queensway
Chester Court
Lodge Green
Sandringham Drive
% 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 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 has a low level of antisocial behaviour or neighbour nuisance cases.This indicates that except for the 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 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
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Employment
Household income
People in the neighbourhood experience significant levels of crime and vandalism in relation to other neighbourhoods in Tameside.Whilst levels of crime could not be described as high people do not feel as safe and secure as they should, living in and walking around some parts of the neighbourhood.
The neighbourhood has quite low levels of family income compared with similar neighbourhoods in Tameside.This indicates that a significant number of families may suffer the effects of deprivation and have difficulty in making ends meet.
Health
Access to services
The neighbourhood has some issues with people’s 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.
People in the neighbourhood have little access to shops and services near to their homes.This indicates that it can be difficult to shop for more than essentials or access advice or support in or within a reasonable distance from the neighbourhood itself.
Neighbourhood overall star rating Overall the neighbourhood is a good place to live but it does experience some problems that affect people’s quality of life on a day to day basis.The main aim for this neighbourhood is to identify the right activities, services and initiatives that will help address the specific issues that prevent it being as good a place as it could be. 07
Local knowledge: Auditing your neighbourhood Whilst 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 a low level of reported antisocial behaviour but there are still some issues relating to youths congregating near the shops and other areas and issues between neighbours including noise nuisance, children playing football, parking issues and disputes. Scooters and bikes being ridden dangerously can also be a concern in some areas with Chester Avenue a particular hotspot. Overall demand for properties in the neighbourhood is good. However there are problems letting some flats in parts of the area with people finding it hard to settle and therefore the frequency in which people move in and out of the neighbourhood is slightly higher than usual because of this. The appearance of the neighbourhood is generally good but there are issues with fly tipping and litter.The area around the shops is somewhat run down and negatively affects neighbourhood appearance.There are also some issues with parking congestion in areas. Poorly designed or inadequate fencing at the rear of properties is also a problem in some parts of the neighbourhood. There are a number of people who require additional tenancy support services due to health and disability issues.
The Resident Association (DERA) prefers to work independently and does not collaborate with the Neighbourhood team.Whilst this is fine, the team feel they need to develop more direct links with local residents to obtain much needed feedback on service performance and wider neighbourhood issues to help the team prioritise services.
There are no purpose built community facilities in the neighbourhood which is a barrier to community activities and advice services. The local school provision of gym facilities to the community has helped provide alternative activities for a number of age groups.
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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 bus route and transport links to other areas, proximity to local shops, good neighbours and the area being generally quiet and peaceful. The issues identified about living in the neighbourhood were: the level of litter, parking issues, children playing and causing a nuisance and a lack of children’s play areas. People raised specific issues with us about The need for mobile library A lack of a mum and toddlers group A lack of a youth base for older children A lack of play facilities for younger children The need for a laundry facility Some houses need drives to alleviate parking issues The need for regular clean up days The need for better access to computers
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More broadly people saw lack of access to employment, employment advice, adult education and walk in advice services as things which had direct impact on the neighbourhood.There was also seen to be a need for a local base for community activities and a need for more community consultation.
Some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: the bus route and transport links to other areas, proximity to local shops, good neighbours and the area being generally quiet and peaceful. 11
What other organisations told us There are some health inequality issues in the neighbourhood compared with the rest of Tameside particularly in terms of higher mortality and disability rates with particular links to coronary health. Issues around sedentary lifestyles and mental health/stress were also highlighted. Provision of the right kind of services for young families with children and for older residents is a particular area of focus. Crime is seen as a significant issue and while various forms of antisocial behaviour were a concern; burglary and vehicle crime are also relatively high as is the lack of crime prevention activity which raises levels of vulnerability. Levels of unemployment are significant in the neighbourhood. Access to training and subsequent employment is an issue for many people with low educational attainment levels compounded by a lack of signposting to training providers and preparatory support. Young people in the neighbourhood are seen as suffering from a lack of access to facilities and support services. More work in these areas is needed to reduce youth related antisocial behaviour.
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A number of households in the neighbourhood have low incomes and high levels of benefit dependency with many lacking access to money advice services. Agencies also thought there could be problems for residents more generally in terms of loss of income as a result of the Government’s welfare reform. More generally early years provision is seen as inadequate. Access to mainstream services and amenities is poor due to the location of the neighbourhood and a lack of drop in services to help to mitigate this.
What we saw together: Lodge Close looks a little jaded and impacts on neighbourhood appearance Large amounts of litter around the shops Litter bins in the area over flowing Refuse bin provision for flats is unsuitable and causes storage problems as well as looking untidy
Parking issues on narrow roads Fly tipping in the Kingsway area where boundary fencing has been moved creating ‘no man’s land’, also abandonment of items to the rear of the shops Generally well maintained grassed areas and open spaces
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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 antisocial behaviour (ASB) disturbance, burglary and vehicle crime.
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.
October 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 the 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 to ensure people can access advice and drop in services.
January 2014
What?
Why?
When?
Undertake a review of potential community venues and consider the feasibility of providing more space for community activities.
To ensure the neighbourhood has sufficient venues to host community activities and drop in services.
October 2013
Work in partnership withTMBCYouth Services and New Charter’sYouth 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.
November 2013
Work in partnership with TMBC and the Community Safety team to position physical barriers to prevent motorcycle riding on paths.
To increase community safety and reduce scooter and motor bike related nuisance in the neighbourhood.
April 2014
Undertake a review of the quality of refuse service with TMBC and residents.
To improve the neighbourhood appearance and quality of life for residents.
June 2014
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 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.
December 2013
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What?
Why?
When?
Consistently signpost and refer customers and their families to employment advice services.
To increase individuals opportunities of gaining employment.
January 2013
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.
May 2013
CleanCare to increase targeting of fly tipping and litter in identified areas.
To improve the appearance of specific areas experiencing litter issues.
May 2013
Work in partnership withTMBC to consider the possibility of the introduction of parking restrictions in identified areas.
To reduce traffic congestion and traffic bottle necks in the neighbourhood.
July 2014
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
What?
Why?
When?
Work with TMBC, the Community Safety team and local shop owners on environmental works; increasing security and lighting to the front and rear of the shops and CCTV provision.
To improve the appearance of the area around the shops and the shops themselves making them a focal point in the neighbourhood and to reduce nuisance related activity.
April 2014
We aim to... Increase community safety and reduce scooter and motor bike related nuisance in the neighbourhood.
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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 thorough unsuitable lets.
April 2013
Develop a network of existing residents to meet, welcome and befriend new residents in difficult to let areas.
To help new residents to settle into the neighbourhood and create links to the community and between neighbours.
September 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
Target fast track enforcement for serious ASB perpetrators with targeted resources from New Charter’s Tenancy and Support Services team.
To remove quickly disruptive residents and improve quality of life for other residents protecting demand for properties.
August 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.
July 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Signpost and refer customers who may benefit from the help of New Charter’s Welfare Benefits Advice team.
To reduce the number of evictions for non-payment of rent and provide more help and advice on managing finances.
April 2013
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.
March 2013
Provide increased support to identified vulnerable residents and link them with support and advice services.
To help identified residents successfully manage their tenancy and reduce lifestyle clashes with other residents.
April 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.
March 2013
We aim to... Reduce arrears in the neighbourhood and therefore reduce the number of residents whose home is at risk due to debt issues. 19
Home
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What?
Why?
When?
Improve the appearance, security and appeal to potential residents of identified properties that are more difficult to let.
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood, demand for properties and reduce nuisance in shared areas.
March 2014
Consider all options available to improve the kerb appeal of the Lodge Close area.
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood and quality of life of residents.
March 2014
Undertake a review of local play facilities provision in consultation with residents.
To ensure children have well placed safe places to play.
October 2013
Review the possibility of adding driveways to some homes.
To improve parking and ease the congestion in identified areas.
December 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 need to clarify boundaries.
May 2013
Produce improvement plan options for refuse storage.
To improve the quality of life for residents and the neighbourhood appearance around blocks of flats.
December 2013
Review the parking availability for residents in identified streets working closely with TMBC.
To identify any additional parking spaces required and the potential options available.
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 which need to be addressed.
April 2013
To identify any additional parking spaces required and the potential options available.
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Involvement and empowerment
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What?
Why?
When?
Offer support to DERA; the existing residents group to develop their activities.
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.
February 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.
May 2013
Develop customer inspections on key customer identified issues.
To increase customer led monitoring of issues by getting the ‘customer eye’ view.
May 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.
July 2013
Set up a neighbourhood face book 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 running a community laundrette in flats as a social enterprise linked to furniture recycling and white goods as well with residents and community volunteers.
Improve community access to laundry facilities, affordable furniture and appliances. Build community networks and develop the community’s ability to work on projects with others.
October 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 =
288
Properties by type Houses
156
Maisonettes 5 Flats
127
Black Minority Ethnic
3.94%
Under 16
21.11%
55+
33.09% 18 - 25
12.88%
Number of residents =
559 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