Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter Armadale
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 Armadale neighbourhood lies within the Dukinfield area ofTameside. King Street from Ashtonunder-Lyne forms the eastern neighbourhood boundary with Dewsnap Lane, Foundry Street, Birch Lane and Pickford Lane creating the remainder of the neighbourhood boundaries.
The neighbourhood has a number of open green spaces and fields; Blocksages playing fields, Pitt Hills playing fields and football pitches as well as a children’s play area which is well used by residents. There is a well attended youth club run from Blocksages byTameside Metropolitan Borough Council.
The neighbourhood itself is suburban and consists of mostly traditional semi-detached properties, a number of one bedroomed low rise flats spread fairly evenly across the area and a concentration of one bedroomed bungalows in the eastern part of the neighbourhood. New Charter owns approximately 50% of the properties following a high number of Right to Buy and Right to Acquire applications in recent years; there are only a small number of properties that are private rented.
There are a wide range of local shops and amenities in the neighbourhood, including a large supermarket, a chemist, a post office with a cash machine, a health centre, swimming pool, library and rugby club; the nearest hospital is situated 2.5 miles away and it is only a short walk from the neighbourhood to DukinfieldTown Hall, the police outpost and Dukinfield Park. There are six local primary schools in the neighbourhood: Broadbent Fold Primary and Nursery School, Ravensfield Primary School, Lyndhurst Community Primary School, St John’s Church of England Primary School, St Mary’s Catholic School andYewTree Community Primary School, all of which are popular. There are also two local high schools:All Saints Catholic College which also offers further education at its own Sixth Form College and Astley Sports College and Community High School. The neighbourhood benefits from excellent transport connections with good daytime bus links into the local busy towns of Ashton and Hyde and the M60 motorway and railway station are only a short distance away.
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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.
Andrew Grove
Denby Road
King Street
St. Lukes Crescent
Armadale Road
Dewsnap Lane
Lismore Road
Stanion Grove
Atlas Street
Freeman Road
Montrose Avenue
Tarbet Road
Barlow Road
Glenmore Bungalows
Morar Road
Thorncliffe Avenue
Birch Court, Birch Lane
Glenmore Grove
Norfield Close
Victoria Street
Birch Lane
Inverness Road
Reece Court
Boyds Walk
Jackson Avenue
Rothesay Avenue
Broadbent Avenue
Jeffreys Drive
Saxon Avenue
% of current rent arrears
Average number of repairs
The neighbourhood has a relatively high level of rent arrears which means a number of households may be experiencing money management issues and be at risk of losing their homes. It is likely that a number of households may benefit from additional support.
The average number of repairs per property is 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
Tenancy turnover
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.
This shows that on average people who move into the neighbourhood tend to stay in their homes for a reasonable length of time although the length of stay varies across the whole of the neighbourhood. It also indicates that people are not as happy living in some parts of the neighbourhood as they could be with some choosing not to stay in the long term.
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% of live antisocial behaviour cases The neighbourhood experiences some antisocial behaviour or neighbour nuisance cases. This indicates that while the majority of New Charter residents treat each other with respect there are some incidents that do occur that have a negative impact on people’s ability to relax and feel secure in their homes. Neighbourhood satisfaction People’s general satisfaction with the neighbourhood as a place to live could be better and there are some significant factors that are spoiling their experience and quality of life. Crime
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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 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. 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 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.
People in the neighbourhood have relatively good access to a range of shops and services from a variety of organisations which are near to their homes.This indicates that it is relatively easy to go shopping for a range of goods as well as access advice and support on a range of issues in the neighbourhood.
Neighbourhood overall star rating This neighbourhood has the potential to be a great place to live but is currently experiencing a number of issues that affect people’s overall quality of life and enjoyment.The main aim for this neighbourhood is to identify a range of activities, service and initiatives that will significantly improve people’s day to day living experience. 07
Local knowledge: Auditing your neighbourhood 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 There are some neighbour nuisance issues in the neighbourhood; mainly around noise and inconsiderate behaviour. However there have also been some more serious incidents of harassment and drug related antisocial behaviour in some specific areas of the neighbourhood and incidents of opportunistic burglary in the summer months. The frequency at which people move in and out of the neighbourhood is low and it is easy to let most properties, however there are problems letting flats in some blocks. The appearance of the neighbourhood is good with many green spaces; however there is a significant problem with fly tipping and some areas near to the shops and flats are subject to littering. Several trees in the neighbourhood are in poor condition and there are areas of used land that could be put to better use. Parking is a problem in some parts of the neighbourhood near to the flats mainly due to the lack of available space. There is also an issue of congestion when football matches are being played. There are pockets of properties in the neighbourhood reporting problems with damp. There are also some problems with the condition of gardens and fences in some areas due to maintenance and poor fencing.
The Neighbourhood team speak to residents regularly but do not currently work with any resident forums or consultative groups. It is felt there is a lack of opportunities to obtain regular input from residents across the entire neighbourhood.
It is felt that the youth club on Blocksages plays a really important role in reducing youth related nuisance. The Neighbourhood Watch group also plays an important role in crime prevention more generally.
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What you told us On average the people we spoke to rate the neighbourhood 7 out of 10 as a place to live. So while people are still relatively positive about the area there are still quality of life issues that need to be addressed. Some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: it is generally quiet, friendly neighbours, good access to town centre shops and amenities, good schools and excellent bus and transport links. Some of the issues identified about living in the neighbourhood were: poor appearance and littering, pets running wild, dog fouling, fly tipping, youths causing problems and a lack of a feeling of security in some areas. People raised specific issues with us about: The need for a mum and toddlers group A lack of youth facilities for older children A lack of play facilities for younger children The unsafe passageway at Montrose Avenue The need for a local office More community events and facilities The need for a gardening club Traffic calming on some roads More opportunities to feedback to New Charter
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More broadly people saw lack of access to employment, training and benefits advice; as well as a lack of childcare and drop in clinics as things that had direct impact on the neighbourhood. Residents also want to see more direct neighbourhood management of tenancy conduct issues and upkeep of properties.A lack of general community consultation was also seen as a problem.
• Some of the best features identified about living in the neighbourhood were: it is generally quiet, friendly neighbours, good access to town centre shops and amenities, good schools and excellent bus and transport links. 11
What other organisations told us There are quite significant health issues in the neighbourhood compared with the rest of Tameside particularly in terms of higher mortality and higher rates of stress and mental health issues due to poor access to the right kind of health services and non-healthy lifestyles. Provision of the right kind of services for young families and children is a particular area of focus. Crime is an issue in the neighbourhood particularly in relation to low level antisocial behaviour partly from youths but there have also been some issues with burglary and vehicle related crime in some areas. Lack of crime prevention measures is also seen as an area that needs to be focused upon. Access to employment, training and poor educational attainment are barriers for people in the neighbourhood and have a particularly significant effect on young adults; with a number of agencies identifying poor links to employers, training providers and poor preparatory support. Training provision is slightly better for adults but employment is a still a major issue for all age groups. A variety of agencies think that young people in the neighbourhood also suffer more generally in terms of access to a range of facilities as well as a lack of personal development opportunities. It was also felt that more work in these areas would have a positive effect on youth related antisocial behaviour. Agencies do not feel young people are involved enough in community decision making. 12
There is a general lack of play facilities for younger children and a significant shortage of early years provision and support for young families as well as childcare facilities more generally. There was also seen to be a number of isolated families who need additional support; owing to difficulties in making links with the community due to their ethnicity. Household income is an issue for a number of households with agencies identifying problems with benefit dependency. Agencies thought there could also be problems for residents in terms of loss of income as a result of the Government’s welfare reform and an increase in debt issues. Access to services generally is seen as good in the neighbourhood; although as indicated above there are problems with more focused services particularly for families and signposting and advice services linked to employment.
What we saw together: Some boarded up properties
High levels of dog fouling on fields
Litter in the open fronted gardens outside Armadale Road flats
Garage site near Armadale Road shops High number of overgrown gardens
Refuse bins stored at the front of some houses due to access issues which affects neighbourhood appearance
Poor lighting near Pitt Hill playing fields and Armadale shops with youths congregating in both areas
Parking issues and high number of cars on Saxon Avenue
Bulky items abandoned in the communal areas of flats
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What do we need to do to make this a greater place? The aim of this section is to identify the activities needed to improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood based on what we have established and what you have told us. It’s effectively an action plan which shows what needs to be done in more detail.
Neighbourhood and community management
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What?
Why?
When?
Increase the physical surveillance in antisocial behaviour (ASB) hotspots working in partnership with the Police,Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (TMBC) and the Community Safety team.
To reduce visible ASB in the neighbourhood by development of a long term strategy to reduce ASB and improve quality of life for residents.
December 2013
Work with the Police and the Community Safety team on target hardening and a more general policing plan targeting drug and alcohol use, vehicle crime and crime against vulnerable groups.
To reduce levels of vandalism and increase feelings of security for residents who feel vulnerable to crime. Development of a long term crime prevention strategy will ensure consistent policing approach.
November 2013
Extend the Home and Street Watch activities neighbourhood wide.
To increase the level of surveillance in neighbourhood and therefore increase the feeling of security and empowerment against crime.
June 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Review current facilities and activities for young people including the feasibility of a separate youth base with TMBC in addition to the provision of general community facilities, activities and services.
Identification of a broader range of facilities for young people is needed to improve their quality of their life and that of the community more generally and make sure people can access advice and drop in services.
January 2014
Work in partnership withTMBCYouth Services and New Charter’sYouth team to develop diversionary activities with young people through outreach activities at Blocksages which is due to close.
To reduce the level of antisocial behaviour from youths by providing positive activities and links to other services.
July 2013
Work in partnership with TMBC to improve lighting in areas that make people feel insecure or encourage congregating.
To improve the feeling of security in the neighbourhood.
March 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
CleanCare to increase targeting of fly tipping including use of surveillance cameras.
To improve the neighbourhood appearance and quality of life for residents.
April 2013
Working with TMBC, review green land areas and park spaces in the neighbourhood to improve usage.
To increase the use of green areas by residents, improve quality of life and activity levels.
June 2014
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What?
Why?
When?
Work with partners to increase signposting of people to health and contraception advice via drop in services. In addition work with the Community Health Service to consider the general provision of Health Visitor Services to young families and education in schools with regards to underage drinking and teenage pregnancy.
To improve the quality of life for older residents and the general health of the neighbourhood and the support available.
September 2013
Work with partners to increase signposting of people to training, employment, income and advice services and develop employment readiness for young people.
To increase individuals opportunities of gaining employment and maximising income.
May 2013
Develop a neighbourhood credit union and other complementary credit and insurance schemes through links with TMBC and MINT (Money Information Network Tameside).
To increase residents access to banking services, affordable credit and insurance.
March 2014
Involve the local football club andTMBC to explore possible ways to ease football related traffic congestion.
To reduce congestion in the neighbourhood on match days.
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.
January 2014
What?
Why?
When?
Work with partners to provide extra litter and dog fouling bins and increase activities of TMBC environmental patrollers.
To reduce the incidents of casual littering in the neighbourhood and reduce level of dog fouling in common areas.
August 2013
Work in partnership with TMBC and private landlords on ways to improve the gardens for private houses; including use of Community Payback teams.
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood.
April 2014
Focus additional resources on trees and overgrown shrubs in the neighbourhood.
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood and reduce the inconvenience posed by poor grounds maintenance.
May 2013
Identification of a broader range of facilities for young people is needed to improve their quality of their life and that of the community more generally and make sure people can access advice and drop in services. 17
Tenancy
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What?
Why?
When?
Streamline the lettings process and relax needs based criteria for difficult to let properties.
To reduce the length of time properties remain empty.
April 2013
Increase the use and targeting of neighbourhood mediation services for disputes.
To reduce neighbourhood disputes and improve neighbour relations.
June 2013
Increase tenancy and neighbourhood enforcement on activities that affect quality of life e.g. Noise nuisance and pet ownership.
To improve the quality of life for the majority of residents as well as identify and reduce unacceptable conduct.
May 2013
Increase tenancy and neighbourhood enforcement activity on untidy gardens and offer support and advice where this is needed.
To improve neighbourhood appearance and advise residents on the help available with garden maintenance.
June 2013
Set up a gardening tool hire service and a gardening club for all residents in the area.
To improve the access to advice and equipment for garden maintenance.
July 2013
Make targeted calls and visits to customers in rent arrears to address the arrears and signpost to relevant advice services.
To reduce arrears in the neighbourhood and therefore reduce the number of customers whose home is at risk due to debt issues.
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 more help and advice on managing finances.
February 2013
What?
Why?
When?
Hold a regular housing surgery in the neighbourhood.
To make it quick and easy for residents to access services and for neighbourhood issues to be dealt with.
April 2013
Provide increased support to identified vulnerable customers and families and link them to specialist support and advice services.
To help identified customers successfully manage their tenancy and reduce lifestyle clashes with other residents.
May 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 customers who may be affected by welfare reform and provide advice and support.
To increase awareness of potential issues and help reduce debt and/or financial problems caused by welfare reform.
January 2013
Continue to deliver the Key toYour Door programme for customers under 35 in terms of ensuring their readiness for a tenancy and to identify any support required.
To reduce the potential for lifestyle clashes and unsuccessful conduct of tenancy.
April 2013
We aim to... Reduce arrears in the neighbourhood and therefore reduce the number of customers whose home is at risk due to debt issues. 19
Home
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What?
Why?
When?
Consider enclosing the open front gardens outside Armadale Road flats to reduce build-up of litter.
To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood.
January 2014
Improve the appearance, security and appeal to potential customers 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.
January 2014
Develop an improvement programme for the garage site at Armadale Road shops.
To improve the security and appearance of neighbourhood and improve parking provision.
September 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
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
Undertake a review of fencing and boundaries, including fencing to communal areas.
To assess if existing fencing is adequate in terms of appearance and security and identify any specific work needed to clarify boundaries.
March 2013
Investigate the causes of damp in identified properties.
To improve the quality of life of residents and the attractiveness of properties to prospective customers.
April 2014
What?
Why?
When?
Working in partnership with the Community Safety team and TMBC, review the need for and possible options available in relation to traffic calming.
To identify options to reduce refuse storage issues and the effect on neighbourhood appearance.
October 2014
Undertake a review of refuse bin storage provision for houses.
To identify what can be done to reduce bin storage issues and the effect on neighbourhood appearance.
November 2013
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
Develop a kitchen renewal programme for identified properties.
To improve the quality of life of tenants and the attractiveness of properties.
March 2015
To improve the quality of life of residents and the attractiveness of properties to prospective customers. 21
Involvement and empowerment
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What?
Why?
When?
Develop a regular tenants and residents forum.
To gather detailed feedback from residents specifically on service and wider neighbourhood issues.
June 2013
Set up a gardening club for all residents.
To increase access to advice and equipment to maintain gardens.
July 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.
August 2013
Set up a neighbourhood improvement group with residents.
To ensure services are more customer and neighbourhood focused.
August 2013
Work in partnership with New Charter’s Regeneration team and TMBC to establish a young parents and mums and toddlers group.
To improve childcare provision and networking amongst young families.
June 2013
Hold regular youth focus groups and forums in the neighbourhood.
To help identify and develop better youth services and support.
August 2013
What?
Why?
When?
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
Carry out a feasibility study for the setting up a community garden on the unused ground behind Barlow Road working with interested residents.
To improve neighbourhood appearance, provide opportunities for people to meet and increase the community’s ability to plan their own projects.
August 2013
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... Improve neighbourhood appearance, provide opportunities for people to meet and increase the community’s ability to plan their own projects.
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What next? Great progress we hope!! Work has already begun in your neighbourhood on the various actions outlined in Your Great Neighbourhood Charter as well as in our other 31 New Charter neighbourhoods. We would like the Great Neighbourhood Charters to mark the start of a new phase of activity aimed at ensuring that all our neighbourhoods are the great places that we all want and know they can be. We will be reviewing the Charter frequently this year and we will keep you updated on the progress, you will have the opportunity to be involved in this so please watch out for advertised activities or requests for feedback. However there is no need to wait until then‌ if after reading this you have any questions comments or suggestions or if you would like to get more involved in helping us identify what we could achieve in your neighbourhood please contact us and give us your thoughts. You can do this by ringing 0161 331 2000 or contacting us via your preferred method, we can also arrange for someone to call and visit you in your home if you would prefer, we would really like to hear from you.
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Neighbourhood Fact File Here are some facts and figures about the people and properties that make up your neighbourhood which we thought you may find interesting.
Number of properties owned by New Charter =
598
Properties by type Houses
432
Bungalows
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Flats
146
Black Minority Ethnic
3.13%
Under 16
55+
28.85%
19.04%
18 - 25
Number of residents =
1376
16.13%
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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