Your GREAT Neighbourhood Promise Carlton and Carlton Hill 2014-17
Carlton & Carlton Hill
Carlton Hill Shopping Parade
At Gedling Homes we want all our neighbourhoods to be great places to live. We want them to look great, have great services, feel safe and be a place for both work and recreation. We believe that both Gedling Homes and our tenants have an important role to play in shaping how our neighbourhoods grow and develop. Through reviewing and improving services we provide to our tenants, we feel we can have a positive effect on our 2
neighbourhoods. We have produced a neighbourhood promise for each of Gedling Homes’ neighbourhood areas and this one is yours. It details the issues raised by you and a commitment from Gedling Homes to review and develop our services to contribute to improving your neighbourhood. The promise will run for 3 years and will be reviewed annually with tenants, to assess our progress against the actions.
Gedling Homes’ Properties in Carlton & Carlton Hill General needs accommodation
Sheltered accommodation
Number of properties:
559
Total accommodation
Bungalow: 6
Bedsit: 4
Flat: 151
Bungalow: 38
House: 177
Flat: 181
Maisonette: 2
Occupied properties
Tenant age
Bedsit: 4
Occupied: 528
18-29: 59
Bungalow: 44
Empty: 31
30-39: 50
Flat: 332
40-49: 78
House: 177
50-59: 70
Maisonette: 2
60+: 249
Ethnicity
Gender
White British: 455
Female: 337
BME: 29
Male: 191
Unknown: 44
Unknown: 22
*Data accurate as of November 2013 3
Your GREAT Neighbourhood
Walton Court Allotment Site
Carlton is located approximately 4 miles east of Nottingham and has a population of around 50,000 residents. Carlton and Carlton Hill are Gedling Borough Council wards and comprise of the Carlton Square and Carlton Hill areas. There are a wide range of shops at the top of Carlton Hill as well as pubs, bars and takeaway restaurants. Carlton Square offers further shopping opportunities as well as a large 24 hour Tesco supermarket. There is good access to local amenities and facilities with two large leisure centres, many churches, schools, doctors, dentists and community centres offering a range of events and activities. Carlton Hill recreation ground offers a large green space for residents to enjoy. Buses run regularly into the city centre where a greater range of services can be accessed. Community spirit in the area is high; people tend to know their neighbours. A number of the residents who live in Carlton also shop here and make good use of the community facilities, helping to promote and maintain a sense of togetherness. This area is a mix of Gedling Homes’ properties, private owners and other social landlords. Our properties are made up of 1 bedroomed flats, bungalows and houses, as well as four sheltered schemes.
Gedling Homes has properties in: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
4
Addison Road Arthur Crescent Belvoir Lodge Campbell Drive Carlton Hill Church Street Cornhill Road Cromwell Street Cross Street Dale Avenue Dale Lodge Dale Road Ernest Road First Avenue Forester Grove Fraser Road Garden Avenue Greenhill Rise Highfield Drive Holly Avenue Honeywood Drive Hooton Road
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Ivy Grove Lilac Avenue Lowater Street Moreland Court Myrtle Road New Row Norman Road Oakdale Road Onchan Avenue Orchard Court Primrose Crescent Primrose Street Second Avenue Southcliffe Road Southdale Drive Southdale Road Standhill Road Valley Road Walton Court Walton Crescent Westdale Crescent
Rating Your Neighbourhood
Foxhill Court, Hanging Basket Session
Working with our tenants we have identified a number of areas that tell us how well we are performing in your neighbourhood. These are called neighbourhood indicators and will be used alongside the feedback we have collected from tenants and residents. The information will tell us what we need to focus on to improve your neighbourhood.
We have also identified some external indicators which were identified as having an impact on the wider community. Our tenants have told us to use a simple star rating, from 1-5, with 5 being the best. We will give a star rating to a range of indicators to identify a final, overall score for your neighbourhood. 5
Your GREAT Neighbourhood Rating STAR Rating
Indicator
Brief Summary
Percentage of tenancies in rent Gedling arrears Homes’ Indicators
There are relatively few tenants in this area that have rent arrears
HHHHH
Percentage of customer satisfaction with their neighbourhood as a place to live (STAR survey)
Tenants in this area have a high satisfaction level with their neighbourhood as a place to live
HHHHH
Turnover of stock
Tenants stay in this area for an average amount of time.
HHHH
Average number of days to relet a Across these areas the average time it takes to let a property (excluding properties where property is satisfactory a major repair has taken place)
HHHH
Percentage of opened anti-social behaviour (ASB) cases per area against organisation average
The neighbourhood experiences an above average number of ASB cases compared to other areas
HHH
Percentage of evictions per area
Evictions in this area are high compared to other neighbourhoods. This may indicate that tenants living in this area are suffering financial difficulty
HHH
Economic activity in this area (employed, part-time, self-employed, seeking work) is relatively high
HHHHH
External Employment - Percentage of people Indicators economically active Education- Percentage of pupils achieving 5 GCSE’s grade A-C including English and Maths
There is a good level of educational attainment for pupils HHHH in the neighbourhood
Level of good health in the neighbourhood
Residents’ perception of their health is good, but not as high as in other areas
Barriers to housing and services / accessibility to services
People in this area have good access to a range of shops HHHHH and services from a variety of organisations close to their home
Crime & Safety - Offences and incidents
HHH People in this neighbourhood report a higher level of crime than in other areas. This may mean that people do not feel as safe and secure living in this area
HHHH
Summary
STAR Rating
Gedling Homes have devised a detailed action plan which highlights many of the above areas. Work in these areas will be undertaken in the next 3 year period to improve Gedling Homes’ properties.
HHH
The above information has been sourced from Gedling Homes’ own performance figures, the 2011 Census, Gedling Borough Council and the South Nottinghamshire Community Safety Partnership. The external data information relates to ward data and is not necessarily representative purely of Gedling Homes’ tenants.
6
Local Knowledge - Auditing Your Neighbourhood The indicators we use to rate your neighbourhood help to point us in the right direction, but to further identify what needs doing we need local knowledge, to address specific issues and problems. We have spoken to local people who live and work in your neighbourhood. This is what we have been told:
Our Neighbourhood Team told us: ●
The level of street litter in these areas does not appear to be a problem. However, Gedling Borough Council Waste Department have advised that the communal bins at Walton Court are regularly overfilled and misused
●
Fly tipping is an issue at Walton Court, Block B in the bin area. Gedling Homes are currently installing an additional camera here to assist in identifying those responsible and will work in partnership with the council to eliminate this problem
●
Dog fouling is an issue on the grassed areas around Cromwell Street. Gedling Homes are working with local Neighbourhood Wardens to reduce this problem
●
The unoccupied office building in Carlton Square is currently in a state of disrepair. This building impacts on the appearance of the area and residents have complained that the building attracts vandalism and other undesirable behaviours
●
Parking around Carlton Square is limited due to restrictions on the main road and lack of allocated parking to the flats, this results in the side streets being full of cars parked on the pavements
●
We receive a high number of ASB complaints from tenants living in Walton Court and Walton Crescent ranging from low level noise nuisance through to serious criminal damage complaints
●
The police have a large station in this area and the police are visible in the local community with local daily patrols
Walton Court ‘B’ Block
7
You told us: On average the people we spoke to rate the neighbourhood 8 out of 10 as a place to live. Despite some concerns, the majority were positive about the area. ●
●
●
Some ASB issues around the Walton Crescent area
●
Street drinking during summer months
●
Untidy gardens on Valley Road
●
Lack of drop-in advice services, residents stated they travel to Netherfield’s St. Georges Centre or the Ark in Gedling to access these
Some of the best features identified were: ●
The range of shopping facilities
●
Public transportation
●
Having friendly neighbours
Some of the worst features identified were: ●
Crime and ASB
●
Traffic issues, including parking
●
Properties in a poor state of repair
Concerns expressed included: ●
Young people congregating around Walton Crescent and the unoccupied office building in Carlton Square. Residents find it intimidating when they have to walk past them
St. Paul’s Church, Carlton
8
●
●
Desired improvements included: ●
More parking in the area surrounding Carlton Square
●
Improved appearance of streets and public places
●
Better access to advice services
●
Reintroduction of the mobile library at our sheltered schemes
●
Reduction in fly tipping and dog fouling
●
Improve the security of the bin area at Walton Court, B Block
Carlton Square
Other organisations told us: ●
The police have told us that there is a problem with ASB related criminal damage including damage to cars
●
The police have identified that noisy moped bikes can be an issue as well as other noise related incidents including loud music
Together, we saw: ●
Small pockets of waste land in the area that could be better utilised by the neighbourhood
●
Fly tipping in a small number of areas
●
Problems with communal bins at Walton Court, B Block
9
Your GREAT Neighbourhood Promise What needs to happen? Neighbourhood and community
10
What?
Why?
When?
Target low level nuisance by an increased staff presence and joint working with the Police in the specific area identified. Where appropriate manage low level noise and other inconsiderate behaviour generally in the neighbourhood
To reduce the incidents of ASB in the neighbourhood and improve tenants and residents quality of life
March 2015
Introduce a restorative justice scheme with partner agencies and utilising volunteers from the community to help reduce levels of ASB and to produce long lasting solutions to it
To engage communities in helping to solve the ASB and the offending that affects them. This will increase community engagement and provide a voice for victims of crime and ASB and those who have been harmed either directly or indirectly
August 2015
Work with partners to increase the signposting of tenants to health advice and other support services
To improve the health of tenants in the neighbourhood and make them aware of the support that is available
September 2015
Consistently signpost and refer tenants and their families to training and income advice services, working with partners to develop people’s employment readiness
To improve services and maximise input into the neighbourhood from other service providers
September 2015
Work with partners and other agencies to support initiatives to help improve the neighbourhood
To improve services and maximise input into the neighbourhood from other service providers
December 2015
Review the use of Walton Court B block car park which is currently not in use
To increase the number of car parking spaces in an area where it has been identified that it is a problem and improve general neighbourhood appearance
April 2015
Neighbourhood Team to have dedicated community clean up days in areas that have been identified as having a persistent problem
To improve the appearance of identified areas and to assist towards increasing neighbourhood sustainability
December 2014
Neighbourhood Team to increase targeting of fly tipping and litter hotspots including the use of surveillance cameras on land owned by Gedling Homes
To improve the neighbourhood appearance and quality of life for residents
March 2015
Work in partnership with Gedling Borough Council’s (GBC) Neighbourhood Wardens to reduce dog fouling
To reduce incidents of dog fouling in the neighbourhood and raise awareness of the issue in the community
March 2015
What?
Why?
When?
Improve and focus our Caretaking service on the areas identified by our tenants
To ensure that tenants get the best possible service from our Caretaking Team and to maximise their impact on the neighbourhood
March 2015
In consultation with GBC provide more dog bins in identified problem areas
To improve neighbourhood appearance and quality of life for residents
September 2015
Moreland Court
11
Home What?
Why?
When?
Work towards publishing a plan of internal improvement of communal areas in our apartment blocks
To improve the appeal of properties and the quality of life of existing tenants
June 2015
Review scooter storage facilities within communal schemes
To improve tenants’ quality of life
April 2016
Implement an external painting programme
To improve the appearance of Gedling Homes’ properties and of the neighbourhood
March 2016
Review the refuse storage provision for flats and the recycling options available
To identify ways to reduce storage issues and the effect on neighbourhood appearance
March 2015
Undertake a review of the condition of all garage sites owned by Gedling Homes and produce a programme for future improvements
To improve the management, security and appearance of garage sites and improve parking provision
December 2015
Undertake a review of parking at our properties
To improve parking provision in the neighbourhood, reduce congestion on selected roads and increase quality of life for tenants and residents
December 2015
Consider all options available to improve the appearance of Gedling Homes’ properties
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood and quality of life of tenants and residents
March 2015
Improve the green spaces in our Independent Living Schemes
To improve the scheme and area appearance
March 2015
Orchard Court
12
Tenancy What?
Why?
When?
Continue to provide support to sustain tenancies and wherever possible to prevent evictions
To help more tenants successfully sustain their tenancies
June 2015
Continue to make targeted calls and visits to customers in rent arrears. Provide advice and assistance to enable the customer to pay the rent due and come to a sustainable agreement to repay any arrears owed
To reduce arrears in the neighbourhood and the number of customers whose home is at risk due to debt issues
June 2015
Continue to signpost and refer customers who may benefit from the help of our Money Wise team
To reduce the number of evictions for nonpayment of rent and provide more help and advice on managing finances
June 2015
Continue to provide increased support to identified families and tenants and link them to our support and advice services
To help identified customers successfully manage their tenancy and reduce lifestyle clashes with other residents
June 2015
Continue to signpost support services to tenants who may be experiencing drug and alcohol related problems
To reduce levels of neighbour nuisance and disputes and help identified tenants access health support and services
September 2015
Work with tenants to create a sense of community and reduce isolation through befriending
To help new tenants settle into the neighbourhood and create links to the community and neighbours
March 2015
Review the need to develop a regular local housing surgery
To make it quick and easy for residents to access services and for neighbourhood issues to be dealt with
June 2015
13
Involvement and empowerment
14
What?
Why?
When?
Set up a regular neighbourhood improvement group with tenants
To ensure services are more customer and neighbourhood focussed
March 2016
Continue to work with tenant and resident groups and provide any support they require to develop their activities
To obtain detailed feedback from tenants and residents specifically on services and wider neighbourhood issues, and work with them jointly on neighbourhood priorities
September 2015
Extend and improve activities for older tenants via Sheltered Scheme events
To improve community links between older tenants in different parts of the neighbourhood and improve community spirit and quality of life
September 2015
Develop and improve Community Regeneration initiatives with our neighbourhoods
To improve neighbourhood appearance and allow the community to target areas they think are a problem and to build a sense of community spirit
March 2016
Extend our links with furniture recycling community enterprises to help new and existing tenants furnish their properties
To improve community access to affordable furniture, build community networks and develop a community’s ability to work on projects together
March 2016
Final Thoughts We hope that over the next three years, through the actions outlined in Your GREAT Neighbourhood Promise, we will really make a visible difference to your neighbourhood.
We believe that the key to achieving the goals set out in this plan is to continue working together, with you, our tenants and leaseholders.
What happens next? Work has already begun in your neighbourhood on the various actions outlined in Your GREAT Neighbourhood Promise. We will be reviewing the plan frequently and will keep you updated on the progress with an annual report. You will have the opportunity to be involved in this so please watch out for advertised activities or requests for feedback. However, if you have something to say, don’t wait for us to call you! If after reading this you have any questions, comments or suggestions, or if you would like to get involved in fulfilling the plan, please contact us:
Phone: 0115 905 1515 Email: enquiries@gedlinghomes.co.uk Twitter: @Gedling_Homes Facebook: facebook.com/gedlinghomes We can also arrange for someone to call and visit you in your own home. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you!
Moreland Court Raised Beds
15
Carlton Hill Recreation Ground
Contact Us Phone:
0115 905 1515
In person:
Email:
enquiries@gedlinghomes.co.uk
Website:
www.gedlinghomes.co.uk
Customer Contact Centre, The Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 6LU.
Facebook: www.facebook.co.uk/gedlinghomes Twitter:
@Gedling_Homes
Write:
Gedling Homes, Gedling House, Wood Lane, Gedling, NG4 4AD
Opening times are 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4.30pm Friday