Aksa Neighbourhood Plans - Bury

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Resource Housing Reg. No. 2111

Great Homes Great Neighbourhoods Great People

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Your GREAT Neighbourhood Plan Bury

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Your Great Neighbourhood Plan

aksa Homes, part of the New Charter Housing trust Group, aims to provide ‘Great Homes, Great Neighbourhoods, Great People’ by placing customers at the heart of everything it does.

We are committed to tackling inequality whilst promoting and strengthening communities in the areas where you live. We would like everyone to work together to improve and shape our performance and the standard of services that we deliver.

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To do this we have developed a neighbourhood plan for each of our new neighbourhoods. this one is yours.

This plan identifies the main issues that affect your neighbourhood and what we need to do to address them.

Customers and partners have been involved in putting this neighbourhood plan together and they will be helping to monitor its progress every step of the way.

The plan will run for three years and will be reviewed annually.

Customers and partners have been involved in putting this neighbourhood plan together.

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Great place to live...

Our Bury neighbourhood is close to the busy retail and market trading town centre.

Our neighbourhood consists of 71 houses and flats in two key locations; 30 houses on Southbank Road (off Manchester Road near Belle Vue Terrace) and Heywood Road/East Street neighbourhood. Bury is a major town within Greater Manchester with a vibrant retail centre.There is plenty of green space and well maintained public places that all members of your family can enjoy.

There is a mixture of large parks and smaller children’s play areas; Clarence Park is about a mile away from the town centre and borders Chesham Woods and Nature Reserve.This offers fishing, skating, tennis and other activities.

There are also lots of children’s play areas for different ages.

Both neighbourhoods consist of new build properties, meeting the demand for high quality affordable family homes.The majority are three and four bedroom properties with front and back gardens.

These homes have good access to bus, rail and tram services out of Bury Metrolink interchange, with easy connections to Manchester city centre and the Lancashire countryside.

Bury town centre has an impressive shopping centre and the renowned Bury market at its heart.

The area has good primary and secondary schools and the nearby Bury College offers A-level, higher education and adult education programmes.

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Down your street Here is a map and list of streets in your neighbourhood to give you an idea of exactly where your plan covers

Bury

What do we know about our homes and tenants in this area?

We have identified a range of indicators that tell us about your neighbourhood. these indicators are designed to tell us how much support we need to give a neighbourhood and what specific areas are causing the most problems so we can target services and resources to improve them.

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We are using a simple star rating; 5, 4, or 3 stars; 5 stars being the best rating. This is to help you see how your neighbourhood is performing in different areas. Each individual indicator we have used has its own star rating.

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Brighton Street

Manzoor Buildings

Fountain Street

Palace Street

Grundy Close

Pimhole Road

Grundy Lane

Southbank Road

Kirkby Close

Walmersley Road

% of current arrears

average number of repairs

The neighbourhood has some areas where rent arrears are a problem, meaning some households may be experiencing money management issues or difficulties adapting to welfare reform. This shows that some households may need additional support.

The average cost of repairs per property is significant and shows that some homes have issues in terms of maintenance costs.

average time to re let a property Properties in your neighbourhood are generally let quickly, but some flats may be unpopular.

tenancy turnover On average people who move into the neighbourhood stay in their homes for a long period of time. This shows that people are happy living in the area.

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% of ongoing anti-social behaviour cases The neighbourhood has low levels of anti-social behaviour and neighbour nuisance cases.

employment The neighbourhood has problems with employment levels.This shows that people in the neighbourhood are having difficulty getting into work and may not be well qualified for the jobs that are available.

Neighbourhood satisfaction People's general satisfaction with the neighbourhood as a place to live is good but there are some factors that could be improved.

Crime The neighbourhood has significant levels of crime.

Although levels of crime are not high, people do not always feel safe in their neighbourhood.

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Household income The neighbourhood has quite low levels of family income compared with regional averages.This shows that a significant number of families are deprived and have difficulty managing their money.

access to services Residents have some shops and services close to their homes, but not all.This shows that while shopping can be done nearby there is some difficulty getting certain services close to home.

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According to the Government's 'Bedroom Tax' rules, 44% of our tenants in Bury are living in homes that are too big for them.

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Local knowledge: What we know about your neighbourhood the indicators we use at aksa point us in the right direction but we are really keen to hear from you.

So we conducted a questionnaire and managed to talk to the majority of our tenants in their own homes.

We also talked about specific issues with groups of tenant representatives and used focus groups to look at areas of our service, for instance, repairs and maintenance.

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What our team at aksa told us There are issues of low level anti-social behaviour and crime that have a negative impact upon the neighbourhood. Some people have talked about other crime in the area which is a concern. This is something which is currently being looked at.

Parking is a problem in some streets with non-residents parking inconsiderately.

Potholes and uneven surfaces on some roads and pavements are a problem.

There have been issues of abandoned vehicles and nuisance.

The Aksa team felt that homes and their nearby environment are generally good but there is a need to improve some outside areas, for example the look of gates, fencing and bin stores.

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What you told us On average, the people we spoke to rated the neighbourhood 8 out of 10 as a place to live.

While people are positive about the area there are still some issues that need to be looked at to improve quality of life.

Some of the best features about living in the neighbourhood were: access to shops, public transport, green spaces and property condition.

The issues to improve about living in the neighbourhood were: litter, fly-tipping and noise nuisance.

People raised specific issues about: Lack of access to employment advice Lack of walk-in advice services Concern about graffiti removal A lack of leisure and library services Important reasons identified as to why some tenants would not move from the neighbourhood are: Community spirit in the area Nearby shops and services Easy access to the town centre

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67% of our Bury tenants would like to stay in their neighbourhood and are unlikely to move.

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What other organisations told us There are concerns that crime is not always reported in the area.This may be affecting the quality of life of some residents.This crime is linked to drug and gang activity.

There are a significant number of older and retired residents living in the Bury neighbourhood.

A focus on health and older person’s services will be expected in the future.

There are some significant health issues in the area with higher mortality rates, stress and mental health issues.This is due to poor access to the right kind of health services. Making sure people have access to good health services is a priority.

There are also a group of young families with children who need additional help. Better access to services is important to ensure that those most in need are supported.

Household income is an issue with agencies identifying problems with levels of unemployment. Many people also rely on benefits.These could be problems for residents in terms of loss of income through the Government's welfare reform.

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What we saw together Vandalism to fencing and broken glass.

Parking issues; abandoned vehicles and houses not using parking spaces provided.

The difference between well maintained and poorly cared for gardens.

Communal areas that need work, for example internal decoration and landscaping.

Overgrown trees and plants.

Boundary areas around properties are not clear.

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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 is effectively an action plan which shows us what needs to be done in more detail

Neighbourhood management

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What?

Why?

When?

Work in partnership with the police and other agencies to improve security in areas that are vulnerable to drug related crime.

To reduce anti-social behaviour and increase security for residents.

November 2013

Work in partnership with the police and Bury Council to increase physical presence in the neighbourhood targeting hot spots of anti-social behaviour.

To increase levels of surveillance in the neighbourhoods and encourage people to work together.

October 2013

Carry out a review of how we deal with anti-social behaviour complaints ensuring that appropriate enforcement action is taken for those who break the rules of their tenancy.

To ensure effective housing management service delivery.To improve quality of life for those residents who may be affected.

September 2013

Work in partnership with the police and other agencies to develop a long-term crime prevention strategy for the neighbourhood.

To develop long-term crime prevention strategy whilst increasing security for residents.

December 2013

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What?

Why?

When?

Introduce a home/street watch scheme to the neighbourhood.

To encourage residents to speak to us more and increase our knowledge and intelligence.

September 2013

Aksa continues to promote quarterly estate inspections and to encourage greater tenant involvement to help with this.

Greater involvement from residents to ensure issues of concern are addressed.

July 2013

Review Aksa’s allocation policy and review how we let our homes.

To ensure that homes are let to those people/families most in need whilst encouraging people to give something back to their community.

August 2013

Look at how we tackle the removal of grafitti.

To improve the appearance of the neighbourhood.

August 2013

Carry out an inspection to all communal areas and landscaping.

To ensure that all communal areas are well maintained.

September 2013

Carry out an environmental inspection of communal landscape areas and work closely with Green Charter, Aksa’s in-house grounds maintenance team.

To ensure areas are well kept and maintained to improve overall appearance of the neighbourhood.

September 2013

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You and your family

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What?

Why?

When?

Look at a range of drop-in and advice services in the neighbourhood.

Increase awareness and take up of service provision.

October 2013

Start our ‘Stepping into work’ employment programme and set up a work club in the neighbourhood.

To provide help, support and guidance to residents with training opportunities and finding work.

September 2013

Promote volunteering and work experience opportunities via our volunteering programme.

To offer valuable work experience with Aksa and local businesses.

October 2013

Refer customers affected by welfare reform to our advice team for help.

To reduce rent arrears and the number of residents at risk of losing their homes due to debt issues.

July 2013

Signpost and refer customers who may benefit from additional support in debt advice and money management via our Citizens Advice Service Scheme.

To increase awareness of help and support to reduce debt and/or financial problems.

August 2013

Develop a programme that offers tenants the opportunity to learn practical skills on budgeting, for example, cooking healthy meals on a budget.

To provide more practical help for customers in managing money.

September 2013

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What?

Why?

When?

Develop a programme of activities that help tenants to keep warm and reduce their fuel bills.

To provide help and advice to reduce fuel bills and awareness on how to save energy.

October 2013

To hold regular housing advice neighbourhood drop-ins.

Offer a face-to-face service in the neighbourhood to help deal with issues locally.

July 2013

We aim to... provide more practical help for customers in managing money.

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Home

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What?

Why?

When?

Monitor our property improvement programme and make sure that people know about it.

To improve the standard of homes and improve residents quality of life.

January 2014

Investigate the causes of damp and condensation in identified homes.

Help people to stop damp and advice on how to solve the problem if it happens.

January 2014

Great Homes events to be held regularly to look at repairs and maintenance service levels and satisfaction.

To promote wider understanding of tenant and landlord responsibilities.

April 2014

Look at the option of improving wasteland areas.

To improve the overall look of the neighbourhood and ensure that wasteland is used.

February 2014

Carry out a review of parking facilities within the neighbourhood working in conjunction with Bury Council.

To tackle parking issues within the neighbourhood to find a solution.

August 2013

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What?

Why?

When?

Develop a programme of improvement works to improve the appearance of communal areas.

To improve the appearance of shared areas.

January 2014

Monitor Green Charter in-house grounds maintenance service and encourage tenants to get involved.

To ensure service delivers a high standard and customer feedback is encouraged.

September 2013

To tackle parking issues within the neighbourhood to find a solution

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Community involvement

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What?

Why?

When?

Work with partners to develop community activities in the area.

To increase awareness and participation in services available.

February 2014

Encourage Bury tenants to join Aksa’s Tenant Panel Team.

To ensure equal representation across Aksa Homes neighbourhoods.

March 2014

Look at other venues for drop-in sessions for tenants in Bury.

To develop wider partnerships for the benefit of our tenants.

April 2014

Set up a neighbourhood improvement team to monitor the grounds maintenance service and have Aksa customer representation on the monitoring panel.

To monitor grounds maintenance service and ensure high standards are kept.

November 2013

Develop street representatives to those interested customers whose role will be able to report issues they or other residents are concerned about in their neighbourhood.

To help in dealing with key issues promptly and increase customer led monitoring.

December 2013

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What?

Why?

When?

Set up a neighbourhood Service Improvement Group to provide a system for bringing customer views to staff.

Consult with customers on the identification of locally agreed service standards – the Aksa standards.

March 2014

Promote the Aksa Community Investment Fund.

To assist community groups to access funding for developing community activities.

October 2013

To continue to consult customers and provide a variety of ways of providing information and feedback. Promote new technology where possible and encourage involvement.

To encourage a different type of communication between other residents and staff.To provide alternative support to those not able to attend formal meetings.

November 2013

We aim to... assist community groups to access funding for developing community activities.

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What next?

A great start! aksa Homes is making a start on the different issues outlined in your Neighbourhood Plan.

Our partner, New Charter Housing trust Group, is also involved in helping improve your area.

Some work has already started but we will be reviewing the plans regularly through the year so keep an eye out for updates. In your great neighbourhood plan, as well as in our other five Aksa Homes neighbourhoods, we would like to mark the start of a new phase of activities aimed at ensuring that all our neighbourhoods are great places to live.

In the meantime, if you have any comments or suggestions or would like to get involved in helping us to achieve change in your neighbourhood then please contact us.You can do this by ringing 0161 620 2992 or contacting us via your preferred method.

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Neighbourhood fact file Here are some facts and figures about the people and properties that make up your neighbourhood.

age profile of our residents

16-20

0-15

12.0%

23.0% 60 & over

9.7%

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21-59

55.3%

Ages of our residents living in Bury.

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Number of properties owned by aksa Homes =

71

Properties by type Houses

62

Flats

9

ethnicity of our residents

Black 1.3% White 7.5%

Pakistani

67.5%

Other

Ethnicity of our residents living in Bury.

23.7%

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Final thoughts We hope the actions outlined in your great neighbourhood plan will make a great difference to you, your family and your neighbours.

You have told us what matters most to you to improve the appearance of your neighbourhood and your quality of life.

We believe that the key to success will be to continue to work together with you to achieve this.

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Contact us aksa OfďŹ ce (Connect) 0161 620 2992

info@aksahomes.co.uk

anti-social behaviour hotline: 0800 027 0522 24 hours a day

facebook.com/aksahomes

aksa Office:

Aksa Homes Aksa House 2 Medtia Square Phoenix Street Oldham OL1 1AN

www.aksahomes.co.uk @AksaHomes

Head Office:

New Charter Group Cavendish 249 Cavendish Street Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7AT

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