At New Charter we would like allour neighbourhoods to be greatplaces to live. We would like themto look great, have great services,feel safe and be a place for bothwork and recreation.
To create great communities wewould like everyone to work togetherto decide how their localneighbourhood should develop andgrow in the future and to improve onthe services they don’t like andmaintain those that they do.
To make sure this happens we haveproduced a neighbourhood plan foreach of New Charter’s 32 newlydefined neighbourhoods and this oneis yours. The plan will run for 3 years
and will be reviewed annually withresidents to assess our progress.
It identifies the main issues that affectyour neighbourhood and what needsto be done both by us and ourpartner organisations to addressthem. We want to focus all ourefforts on making sure you have agreat place to live so we will beworking just as hard with a rangeof other organisations on some ofthe wider issues such as employmentand crime.
Remember, you are the experts inwhat it’s like to live in yourneighbourhood and you will be ourmost important partner of all.
02
Your GREAT Neighbourhood Charter
You are the expertsin what it’s like tolive in yourneighbourhoodand you will be ourmost importantpartner of all.
The Stanhope StAnnes neighbourhood is
situated to the west ofTameside bordering Denton and
Dukinfield and consists of several terraced properties,
1930’s semidetached houses and a number of
maisonettes and flats.
St Annes is situated adjacent to Stanhope and benefits
from the same amenities; although similar in numbers to
Stanhope, St Annes is in direct contrast.The properties
are traditionally built two and three bedroomed homes
with front and rear gardens and some small blocks of one
bedroomed flats.The area is well designed with a green
open space running along the back of Howard Street and
St Annes Road. Highfield Street, Springfield
Street and Howard Street consist of
terraced two bedroomed properties with
rear yards and are also situated adjacent to
Stanhope benefiting from the same amenities.
Stanhope comprises of 198 maisonettes; one, two
and three bedroomed properties built from non-
traditional materials.All the properties are occupied
by New Charter customers and the
neighbourhood benefits from full CCTV
coverage.The area is urban, with small green spaces
dotted throughout the neighbourhood which have been
thoroughly utilised by the Audenshaw Residents
Association to grow fruit and vegetables for the
community.There are play markings situated around the
area to provide positive play for the children.
There is a park close by on Cemetery Road with an
excellent assortment of interesting play equipment as
well a football pitch with full sized goal posts and a kick
wall for football practice.There is also a smaller park at
the end of St Annes Road which falls under the Denton
ward, with play equipment and five-a-side goal posts.
There is a thriving Neighbourhood Home and
Community Hub where a variety of events are held as
well as information surgeries, a youth club, a walking
group,“cook and eat” and health care sessions.
There are a few local shops within easy walking distance
including a Post Office and general stores with larger
chain stores situated a short distance away at Crown
Point North.The community centre run byTameside
Metropolitan Borough Council is situated on the junction
of Denton Road and Shepley Road and sessions held
there include dancing and bingo.There are local schools
in the area to accommodate different age groups,
Audenshaw High School and Poplar Street Primary
School, there is also a children’s centre situated on the
site of Poplar Street School.
There are good bus links to Denton and Ashton and a
train station approximately one mile away at Guide
Bridge which has a direct link to Manchester.The nearest
hospital is in Ashton, with access to doctors and dentists
which are situated along Denton Road.
neighbourhood benefits from full CCTV
03
GREAT place to live...
04
We have identified a range ofindicators that tell us overall howgreat your neighbourhood is.These indicators are designed totell us how much support weneed to give a neighbourhoodand what specific areas seem tobe causing the most problems sothat we can target services andresources to improve them.
We are using a simple rating of 5,4 or 3 stars; 5 stars being the bestrating, so you can see easily howindividual sections within yourneighbourhood are performing.Each individual indicator we haveused has its own star rating whichwhen combined together producean overall star rating for yourneighbourhood.
The indicators range from the timetaken to relet houses toemployment and education. Youcan see them all below with anexplanation of what the ratingsmean for your neighbourhood.
Down your street
Here is a map and a list of streets included in your neighbourhood togive you an idea of exactly where your plan covers.
Does your neighbourhood have star quality?
Tame Street
Stanhope &St. Annes
05
Aldwyn Close
Barnwell Close
Cemetery Road
Cook Street
Haughton Street
Highfield Street
Hope Street
Howard Street Audenshaw
Howard street Denton
Oak Street
Pennine View
Pine Close
Progress Avenue
Queen Street
Rowcon Close
Springfield Street
St. Annes Road
St. Hildas Road
Wellington Street
Werneth Street
Yew Street
% of current rent arrears
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.
Average time to releta 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.
Average number of repairs
The average number of repairs per property is
relatively low and indicates that properties do not
have any significant issues in terms of maintenance
costs or property damage.
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.
06
% of live antisocialbehaviour 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 is good, but there are some factors
that spoil their experience and affect their
enjoyment of the area.
Crime
People in the neighbourhood experience high
levels of crime and vandalism in relation to similar
neighbourhoods inTameside.This means that people
do not feel as safe and secure as they should, living
in and walking around many parts of the
neighbourhood.
Health
The neighbourhood has some issues with peoples
health and disability levels compared with similar
neighbourhoods inTameside.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.
Employment
The neighbourhood has significant problems with
employment levels compared with similar
neighbourhoods inTameside.This indicates that
many people in the neighbourhood are having
difficulty accessing the jobs market and a significant
number may not be well qualified for the jobs
that are available.
Education and skills
The neighbourhood has 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.
Household income
The neighbourhood has some problems with family
income levels compared with similar
neighbourhoods inTameside.This indicates that
some families may suffer the effects of deprivation
and have difficulty in making ends meet.
Access to services
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 overallstar 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
08
Local knowledge: Auditing your neighbourhoodWhile the indicators show us useful trends and point us in the right direction we need more localknowledge 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 andwork here to identify what they think the issues were.
Generally the neighbourhood has significant
problems with antisocial behaviour.The issues
mainly relate to noise disturbance, neighbour
disputes, disturbance caused by inconsiderate
behaviour and unauthorised pet ownership; a
large amount of which occurs in the blocks of
flats.There are also more serious issues linked to
drug related activity, substance abuse and
domestic violence.
Demand for the neighbourhood is variable with
some properties being more difficult to let because
of nuisance issues.This also affects the overall
frequency at which people move in and out of
the neighbourhood and can reduce the sense of
community in some areas. More traditional houses
in the neighbourhood are still in demand and
easy to let.
Dog fouling, fly-tipping and abandoned refuse bags
are persistent problems and negatively affect
neighbourhood appearance.There are also some
fencing issues and a small number of overgrown
patches of land which also have a negative impact
as does the leaving of personal belongings on
access balconies.
In terms of property condition there are problems
with a lack of floor covering in some flats and
on several landings with floor covering becoming
discoloured on open walk ways. New bathrooms
and kitchens are also needed in some
terraced properties.
The Neighbourhood team work closely with
the local residents group who as well as being a key
player in improving the neighbourhood, provide
excellent feedback on neighbourhood services and
resident priorities.The team would also like to
work with the group to see how they can increase
input from some more difficult to contact residents.
09
What our Neighbourhoodteam told us
The Hub provides a very effectiveresource for drop in services andcommunity activities for a large partof the neighbourhood population butthere is a need for a larger centre forsome activities.
10
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 clean appearance, helpful neighbourhood
service, caretakers, the residents group and
friendly neighbours.
The issues identified as about living in the
neighbourhood were: noise levels in the flats, dog
fouling, antisocial behaviour, drug dealing and poor
access to shops.
People raised specific issues with us about:-
The poor refuse bin provision
A lack of police patrols
The need for more children amenities
The need for more local shops
Improved access to none charging cash machines
The need for a local doctor’s surgery
The possibility of volunteers tidying up
local areas
Development of a Community cafe
More broadly people saw lack of access to
employment opportunities, adult education, library
facilities and banking services as things that had a
direct impact on the neighbourhood.A lack of
places to eat and a lack of facilities for young
people were also identified.
Some of the best features identified about living in theneighbourhood were: the clean appearance, helpfulneighbourhood service, caretakers, the residents groupand friendly neighbours.
11
There are significant health issues in the
neighbourhood compared with the rest ofTameside
particularly in terms of higher mortality, drug and
alcohol dependency and mental health illness;
compounded by 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 in parts of the neighbourhood is also a focus.
Levels of teenage pregnancy are relatively high in
some parts of the neighbourhood.
Crime is a significant issue in many parts of the
neighbourhood particularly in terms of criminal
damage, drugs and car related criminality;with the
design and layout of some parts of the
neighbourhood making areas more vulnerable.There
is also a concern about the rise in domestic violence in
the area.
Access to employment, training and poor educational
attainment are barriers for people in the
neighbourhood generally and have a particularly
significant effect on young adults in the
neighbourhood,with a number of agencies
identifying poor links to employers, training providers
and poor preparatory support.
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.
There is thought to be a general lack of variety in
terms of play facilities and activities for younger
children and a lack of early years provision is also seen
as a problem.
There is an identified for more intensive family
support services for a number of households who are
experiencing problems.
Household income is an issue for some families with
agencies identifying problems with benefit
dependency.Agencies thought there could also be
problems for residents in terms of loss of income as
part of Government’s welfare reform and an increase
in debt issues.There were also concerns about loan
sharking activities affecting some residents.
Access to amenities is generally good in the
neighbourhood and is complimented by a variety of
drop in sessions, however access to shops locally is an
issue in terms of variety.
What other organisations told us
12
What we saw together:
Untidy strip of land behind garages on Pine Close
Land to the rear of the greenhouse suite is used
for fly tipping
Land near Progress Avenue is overgrown and
littered and there were some more widespread fly
tipping on nearby bits of land
Problem with limited room for refuse bin storage
Abandoned furniture in communal areas
Street lighting to pedestrian only areas is a
persistent problem
Lack of greenery and landscaping in flat areas
Stark green areas in the St Anne’s area which
need improving
Demolished garage sites need landscaping
Fencing to Cook Street garage site need completing
13
14
Neighbourhood and community management
Increase physical officer surveillance to
complement enhanced CCTV surveillance in
antisocial behaviour (ASB) hotspots.Working in
partnership with the Community Safety team
on a long ternASB action plan.
To reduce the incidence of ASB in the
neighbourhood and reduce property
turnover in affected areas.
December 2013
Increase joint working with the Police on
ASB visits to residents and police surgeries.
To reduce serious or persistent ASB issues
by early intervention with the Police and
increase deterrence for perpetrators.
December 2013
Work with Police and the Community Safety
team on target hardening, surveillance of
youth related nuisance, congregation in
communal areas and develop a more general
policing plan targeting domestic violence,
drug and alcohol use, vehicle crime and
crime against vulnerable groups.
To reduce levels of vandalism and
increase feelings of security for
customers who feel vulnerable to crime.
Development of a long term crime
prevention strategy will ensure consistent
policing approach.
December 2013
What? Why? When?
What do we need to do to make thisa greater place?The aim of this section is to identify the activities needed to improve thequality of life in the neighbourhood based on what we haveestablished and what you have told us. It’s effectively an action planwhich shows what needs to be done in more detail.
15
Develop a neighbourhood wide HomeWatch
group with support from New Charter.
To increase the level of surveillance in the
neighbourhood and therefore increase
the feeling of security and empowerment
against crime.
June 2013
Review the current facilities and range of
activities for young people and children.
To provide a broader range of activities
for young people and children and
improve their quality of life.
October 2014
Increase the involvement of New Charter
Youth team to develop diversionary activities
with young people through outreach
activities at established youth bases.
To reduce the level of antisocial behaviour
from youths by providing positive
activities and links to other services.
June 2013
Undertake a joint review of childcare and
early years provision withTMBC 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 in partnership withTMBC on refuse
services, litter issues, open space
maintenance standards and a joint review of
the condition of pavements.
To improve neighbourhood appearance
and kerb appeal.
February 2014
What? Why? When?
16
What? Why? When?
Work with partners to increase signposting
of residents to health advice and services, to
include contraception advice, drug and
alcohol support and health and fitness advisors.
To improve the health of residents in the
neighbourhood and the support available.
July 2013
Consistently signpost and refer customers
and their families to training, employment
and money advice service.
To increase individuals opportunities of
gaining employment and maximising
their income.
March 2013
Work with partners and specialist agencies
to provide debt advice and access to basic
financial services.
To increase residents access to banking
services, affordable credit and insurance.
March 2013
Working in partnership withTMBC and New
Charter’s Regeneration team to support and
enhance a Job club in the Hub for training
referrals and sign posting.
To improve access to employment,
support in applying for jobs and training.
June 2013
Review the range of activities, advice and drop
in services from other agencies at the Hub.
To increase resident’s access to advice,
drop in services and community
activities and improve networking in
the neighbourhood.
September 2013
Work with partners to address dog fouling
and increase the activities ofTMBC
environmental patrollers to improve
prevention and surveillance activity.
To reduce incidents of dog fouling in the
neighbourhood and raise awareness of
the issue in the community.
June 2013
17
What? Why? When?
Review the shopping and banking facilities
with residents and service providers.
To identify where access to local shops
and cash machines is needed.
August 2013
Work with partners to obtain access
and use of a larger community centre
close to the neighbourhood.
To maintain the capacity of the area
and to support medium to large scale
activities and community events.
October 2014
We aim to... Reducethe level of antisocialbehaviour from youthsby providing positiveactivities and links toother services.
18
Increase the use and targeting of
neighbourhood mediation services
for disputes.
To reduce neighbourhood disputes and
improve neighbour relations.
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.
April 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 customers whose
home is at risk due to debt issues.
March 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.
January 2013
Provide increased support to customers
who may be experiencing drug and
alcohol related problems.
To reduce levels of neighbour nuisance
and disputes in properties and help
identified residents to access health
support and services.
September 2013
Tenancy
Apply the community contribution criteria
from New Charter’s Allocation Policy to
ensure a sensitive lettings approach to reduce
lifestyle clashes thorough unsuitable lets.
April 2013To maintain community stability, reduce
turnover of properties once let and
decrease neighbour disputes and reduce
lifestyle clashes thorough unsuitable lets.
What? Why? When?
19
We aim to... Reduce levels of neighbour nuisance anddisputes in properties and help identified residents toaccess health support and services.
What? Why? When?
Neighbourhood team to carry out
monthly neighbourhood inspections
(open to residents).
To provide regular monitoring of street
level appearance and visible issues.
February 2013
Visit older and vulnerable customers
annually to assess any support or
adaptations needs.
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.
February 2013
Provide increased support to identified
vulnerable customers and link them to
specialist support and advice services as well.
To help identified customers successfully
manage their tenancy and reduce
lifestyle clashes with other residents.
April 2013
To maintain the quality of life and
independent living for older residents.
September 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.
March 2013
20
Home
What? Why? When?
Develop a planting scheme near to the
bungalows in the neighbourhood in locations
where unauthorised games are played.
To reduce low level nuisance from
street games in appropriate areas.
May 2013
Undertake a review the feasibility of drive
ways for bungalows.
To improve parking congestion in the
neighbourhood.
November 2014
Undertake a review of the internal flooring in
the flats on Howard Street and completion
of the planned flooring replacement in
Stanhope flats.
To improve the quality of life for existing
residents and the appeal of flats to
prospective customers.
December 2013
Undertake a review of external communal
area maintenance including pavements,
access roads and shared walkways.
To identify any remedial work needed
to improve neighbourhood appearance
and the appeal of properties.
October 2014
Undertake a review of local play facilities
provision in consultation with residents.
To ensure children have well placed safe
places to play.
August 2014
Develop the landscape of the demolished
garage site.
To improve neighbourhood appearance. January 2014
Develop a kitchen and bathroom replacement
programme for acquired properties.
To improve the quality of life for existing
customers and improve the appeal of
properties to prospective tenants.
April 2015
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 needed to
clarify boundaries.
September 2013
21
What? Why? When?
Jan 2015
To improveneighbourhoodappearance.
Develop a replacement programme
of UPVC doors for the maisonettes
to prevent crime related damage.
To improve the appearance and appeal
of maisonettes.
July 2013Undertake a review of refuse bin
storage provision in flats.
To identify what can be done to reduce
bin storage issues and improve the
effect on neighbourhood appearance.
22
Involvement and empowerment
What? Why? When?
Continue to work with the residents group
and provide any support they require to
develop their activities.
March 2013
Consider the feasibility of setting up a
community cafe and shop as a social
enterprise venture with interested residents.
April 2014
Ask interested customers to be street
representatives whose role will be to report
any issues they or other residents are
concerned about in their street or the wider
neighbourhood.The Neighbourhood team will
also contact the street representatives once a
quarter to check progress and provide support.
May 2013
Set up a neighbourhood improvement
group with residents.
May 2013
Develop customer inspections on key
customer identified issues.
June 2013
Set up a neighbourhood facebook page. May 2013
To obtain detailed feedback from
residents specifically on service and wider
neighbourhood issues and work with
them jointly on neighbourhood priorities.
To improve shopping provision for
residents, generating access to facilities that
support community activities, building
community networks and developing the
community’s’ ability to work on projects
with others.
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.
To ensure services are more customer and
neighbourhood focused.
To increase customer led monitoring of
issues by getting the ‘customer eye’ view.
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.
23
What? Why? When?
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.
June 2013
Introduce DreamScheme work where
youths help improve neighbourhood
appearance or help other residents.
To build community cooperation and
networks, increase community spirit and
self-help and improve inter-generational
links and respect.
January 2014
We aim to... Improve the neighbourhood appearance andincrease community spirit, building positive relationships withneighbours and increasing the community’s knowledge of whatservices and opportunities are available.
24
What next?Great progress we hope!!
Work has already begun in yourneighbourhood on the various actionsoutlined in Your Great NeighbourhoodCharter as well as in our other 31 NewCharter neighbourhoods. We would likethe Great Neighbourhood Charters tomark the start of a new phase of activityaimed at ensuring that all ourneighbourhoods are the great places thatwe 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.
689
Number ofresidents =
25
Neighbourhood Fact FileHere are some facts andfigures about the peopleand properties that makeup your neighbourhoodwhich we thought you mayfind interesting.
374Properties by type
Houses 99
Bungalows 73
Flats 27
Maisonettes 198
Number ofproperties ownedby New Charter =
689
Number of residents =
Houses
Bungalows
Flats
Maisonettes
55+
27.29%
18 - 25
11.90%
Under 16
20.03%
Black
Minority
Ethnic
7.55%
We hope that over the next three years through the actionsoutlined in your Great Neighbourhood Charter we will reallymake a visible difference to your neighbourhood, making itmore attractive for those living or thinking of living in it andimprove resident’s quality of life.
We think the key to success will be to continue to work togetherwith you to achieve this.
Final Thoughts
26
Contact us
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
27
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)
www.newcharter.co.uk
newchartergroup
@newchartergroup
@