Your GREATNeighbourhoodPromiseValley, Porchester,St. James

2014-17

At Gedling Homes we want all ourneighbourhoods to be great placesto live. We want them to look great,have great services, feel safe and bea place for both work andrecreation.

We believe that both GedlingHomes and our tenants have animportant role to play in shapinghow our neighbourhoods grow anddevelop. Through reviewing andimproving the services we provideto our tenants, we feel we can havea positive effect on ourneighbourhood.

We have produced aneighbourhood promise for each ofGedling Homes’ neighbourhoodareas and this one is yours. It detailsthe issues raised by you and acommitment from Gedling Homesto review and develop our servicesto contribute to improving yourneighbourhood.

The promise will run for 3 years andwill be reviewed annually withtenants, to assess our progressagainst the actions.

Valley, Porchester, St. James

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Gedling Homes’ Properties in Valley, Porchester,St. James

Occupied properties

Occupied: 622

Empty: 34

General needsaccommodation

Bedsit: 46

Bungalow: 2

Flat: 128

House: 242

Ethnicity

White British: 566

BME: 7

Unknown: 49

Gender

Female: 364

Male: 258

Shelteredaccommodation

Bedsit: 69

Bungalow: 89

Flat: 80

Tenant age

18-29: 44

30-39: 70

40-49: 72

50-59: 85

60+: 317

Unknown: 34

Totalaccommodation

Bedsit: 115

Bungalow: 91

Flat: 208

House: 242

Number ofproperties:

656

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*Data accurate as of November 2013

Valley, Porchester and St. James are three GedlingBorough Council wards in the Carlton area. Theyextend out towards Mapperley along Westdale Laneand into Porchester along Valley Road.

There are a small number of independent retailersdotted around this neighbourhood, with the mainshopping area at the top of Westdale Lane leading ontoMapperley Plains. There are various shops, banks,takeaways, supermarkets, bars and cafés, includingbusinesses and other local services.

The area has good local services such as the MapperleyLibrary and The Westdale Lane Toddler Group andCommunity Centre. There are regular bus services toNottingham City and to Arnold.

There are several primary and junior schools in thisarea and the Carlton Academy for over 11’s. Theseschools all have good reputations locally, and theacademy has recently been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted.

The park on Valley Road has a playground for youngerchildren and a large open space for ball games andgeneral use.

Our properties in this area include family housing, 1and 2 bedroomed flats, there are also four shelteredhousing schemes. St. Andrews House on Digby Avenueis currently being renovated and will be opened as anExtra-Care scheme in 2015, following major investmentby Gedling Homes and Nottinghamshire CountyCouncil.

Your GREAT Neighbourhood

● Alpine Crescent● Arnot House● Bayliss Road● Beck Street● Bennett Road● Bentick Road● Bulcote House● Carnarvon Grove● Cavendish

Crescent● Cavendish House● Cavendish Road● Chesterfield

Avenue● Chesterfield

Court● Coningsworth

Road● Dale Avenue● Dorket House● Eastcliffe Avenue● Featherstone

Close● Foxhill Road● Fraser Square● Glebe Road● Gunthorpe Road

● Hallam Road● Kenrick Road● Kent Road● Marwood

Crescent● Marwood Road● McIntosh Road● Moore Road● Newton Road● Portland Road● Redland Grove● Rushcliffe Avenue● Rutland Road● Sandford Road● Shelford Road● Simkin Avenue● St. Andrews

House● Stanhope Road● Welbeck Avenue● Westcliffe Avenue● Westmoore Close● Westmoore

Court● Wheldon Avenue● Wollaton Avenue● Worth Street

Gedling Homes has properties in:

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Rating Your Neighbourhood

Working with our tenants we have identified a numberof areas that tell us how well we are performing in yourneighbourhood. These are called neighbourhoodindicators and will be used alongside the feedback wehave collected from tenants and residents. Theinformation will tell us how much and what we need tofocus on to help improve your neighbourhood.

We have also identified some external indicators whichwere identified as having an impact on the widercommunity.

Our tenants have told us to use a simple star rating,from 1-5, with 5 being the best. We will give a starrating to a range of indicators to identify a final,overall score for your neighbourhood.

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Cavendish Road Sheltered Scheme

Indicator Brief Summary STARRating

GedlingHomes’Indicators

Percentage of tenancies in rentarrears

There are relatively few tenants in this area that haverent arrears

HHHHH

Percentage of customer satisfactionwith their neighbourhood as a placeto live (STAR survey)

Tenants in this area have a high satisfaction level withtheir neighbourhood as a place to live

HHHHH

Turnover of stock Tenants stay in the area for a shorter than averageamount of time

HHH

Average number of days to relet aproperty (excluding properties wherea major repair has taken place)

Across these areas the average time it takes to let aproperty is satisfactory

HHHH

Percentage of opened anti-socialbehaviour (ASB) cases per areaagainst organisation average

The neighbourhood experiences an above averagenumber of ASB cases compared to other areas

HHH

Percentage of evictions per area Evictions in this area are high compared to otherneighbourhoods. This may indicate that tenants living inthis area are suffering financial difficulty

HHH

ExternalIndicators

Employment - Percentage of peopleeconomically active

There is a good level of economic activity in this area(employed, part-time, self-employed, seeking work)

HHHH

Education- Percentage of pupilsachieving 5 GCSE’s grade A-Cincluding English and Maths

In comparison with other areas of Gedling boroughthere are some issues with the level of educationalattainment

HHH

Level of good health in theneighbourhood

Residents’ perception of their health is good, but not ashigh as in other areas

HHHH

Barriers to housing and services /accessibility to services

People in this area have good access to a range ofshops and services from a variety of organisations closeto their home

HHHHH

Crime & Safety - Offences andincidents

People experience an average level of crime whencompared against other areas within Gedling borough

HHHH

Summary STARRating

Gedling Homes have devised a detailed action plan which highlights many of the above areas. Work in theseareas will be undertaken in the next 3 year period to improve Gedling Homes properties.

HHHH

Your GREAT Neighbourhood Rating

The above information has been sourced from Gedling Homes’ own performance figures, the 2011 Census, GedlingBorough Council and the South Nottinghamshire Community Safety Partnership. The external data information relates toward data and is not necessarily representative purely of Gedling Homes’ tenants.

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The indicators we use to rate your neighbourhood helpto point us in the right direction. To further identifywhat needs doing we need local knowledge, to addressspecific issues and problems, we have spoken to localpeople who live and work in your neighbourhood. Thisis what we have been told:

Our Neighbourhood Team told us:● Gedling Homes land at Valley Road and

Westmoore Close are problem areas for flytipping and misuse of bins. The flytipping on Valley Road normally occurs at thetop end near the play area, at Westmoore Closeit is mostly bin-side waste

● The level of litter around the area is good withevidence of adequate general waste bins anddog litter bins. However some small pocketshave been identified as hotspots for litter;Cavendish Road near the cemetery; FraserSquare along the railings bordering The RichardHerrod playing field and the cut through fromCavendish Road to Marwood Crescent.To reduce litter in these hotspots, GedlingBorough Council and Gedling Homes regularlypatrol and litter pick

● Gedling Homes receive a high number of ASBcomplaints in these areas; these are usually noiserelated. The Tenancy Services team have beenworking closely with the police to reduce someof these problems in the ASB hotspots atWestmoore Close and Valley Road areas

● The Westmoore Close bedsits have a highturnover of tenants

● The police often carry out patrols andoperations in the area. The local PoliceCommunity Support Officer (PCSO) regularlypatrols Westmoore Close and has regularcontact with the residents

● On inspection there was very little dog fouling inthe area with residents making good use of themany dog bins supplied

Local Knowledge - Auditing Your Neighbourhood

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Carlton Forum

You told us:On average the people we spoke to rate theneighbourhood 8 out of 10 as a place to live.Despite some concerns, the majority werepositive about the area.

● Some of the best features identified were:

● Good access to shops

● Good buses and transportation

● Quiet location

● Some of the worst features identified were:

● Crime and ASB

● Concerns expressed included:

● Limited access to employment advice andassistance to get back to work

● Desired improvements included:

● Tenants taking more responsibility for theirgardens

● CCTV required at Westmoore Close

● Better access to advice services

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Cavendish Road

Other organisations told us:● The police have received reports of noisy

mopeds driving at high speed in this area

● There are some problems with criminaldamage. The police have received reports ofdamage to vehicles that were parkedunattended overnight

Together, we saw:● Evidence of fly tipping in a small number of

areas

● Low level ASB complaints due to a smallnumber of inconsiderate tenants

● Some Gedling Homes gardens are not wellmaintained

● Some issues with recycling bins beingcontaminated in blocks of Gedling Homes flats

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Foxhill Court, Foxhill Road

What? Why? When?

Target low level nuisance by an increased staffpresence and joint working with the Police in thespecific area identified. Where appropriatemanage low level noise and other inconsideratebehaviour generally in the neighbourhood

To reduce the incidents of ASB in theneighbourhood and improve tenants andresidents quality of life

March 2015

Target low level ASB and nuisance activity byusing CCTV in doorways and shared areas inidentified Gedling Homes flat complexes

To reduce the incidence of ASB in theneighbourhood and improve residents qualityof life

March 2016

Introduce a restorative justice scheme withpartner agencies. Utilising volunteers from thecommunity to help reduce levels of ASB andproduce long lasting solutions

To engage communities in helping to solveASB and the offending that affects them.This will increase community engagement andprovide a voice for victims of crime and ASB,who have been harmed directly or indirectly

August2015

Increase the signposting of tenants to healthadvice and other support services

To improve the health of tenants in theneighbourhood and make them aware of thesupport that is available

September2015

Consistently signpost and refer tenants and theirfamilies to training and income advice services,working with partners to develop people’semployment readiness

To improve services and maximise input intothe neighbourhood from other serviceproviders

September2015

Improve and focus our Caretaking service on theareas identified by our tenants

To ensure that tenants get the best possibleservice from our Caretaking team and tomaximise their impact on the neighbourhood

March 2015

Work with partners and other agencies tosupport initiatives to help improve theneighbourhood

To improve services and maximise input intothe neighbourhood from other serviceproviders

December2015

Neighbourhood team to increase targeting of flytipping and litter hotspots within Gedling Homesareas; including the use of surveillance cameras

To improve the neighbourhood appearanceand quality of life for residents

March 2015

Continue to work in partnership with GedlingBorough Council’s (GBC) NeighbourhoodWardens to reduce dog fouling

To reduce incidents of dog fouling in theneighbourhood and raise awareness of theissue in the community

March 2015

Your GREAT Neighbourhood Promise -What needs to happen?

Neighbourhood and community

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What? Why? When?

In consultation with GBC provide more dog binsin identified Gedling Homes problem areas

To improve neighbourhood appearance andquality of life for residents

September2015

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Westmoore Close

What? Why? When?

Work towards publishing a plan of internalimprovement of communal areas in ourapartment blocks

To improve the appeal of properties and thequality of life of existing tenants

June 2015

Implement an external painting programme To improve the appearance of GedlingHomes’ properties and of the neighbourhood

March 2016

Consider the conversion of studio properties intoone bedroom flats

Reduce the number of hard to let propertiesin the neighbourhood and reduce turnover

March 2016

Improve and introduce where possible scooterstorage in our schemes

To improve tenants’ quality of life April 2016

Consider all options available to improve theappearance of Gedling Homes’ properties

To improve the appearance of theneighbourhood and quality of life of tenantsand residents

March 2015

Undertake a review of the condition of all garagesites owned by Gedling Homes and produce aprogramme for future improvements

To improve the management, security andappearance of garage sites and improveparking provision

December2015

Improve the green spaces in our IndependentLiving Schemes

To improve the scheme and area appearance March 2015

Review the refuse storage provision for GedlingHomes’ flats and the recycling options available

To identify ways to reduce storage issues andthe effect on neighbourhood appearance

March 2015

Home

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What? Why? When?

Continue to provide support to sustain tenanciesand wherever possible prevent evictions

To help more tenants successfully sustain theirtenancies

June 2015

Introduce a sensitive or tailored lettings approachfor properties with a high turnover

Maintain community stability, reduce turnoverof properties once let and decrease neighbourdisputes and reduce lifestyle clashes throughunsuitable lets

March 2015

Target fast track enforcement for serious ASBperpetrators with targeted resources from ourTenancy Services team

To remove disruptive tenants quickly andimprove the quality of life for other residents,protecting demand for properties

December2014

Continue to make targeted calls and visits tocustomers in rent arrears. Provide advice andassistance to enable the customer to pay the rentdue and come to a sustainable agreement torepay any arrears owed

To reduce arrears in the neighbourhood andthe number of customers whose home is atrisk due to debt issues

June 2015

Continue to provide increased support toidentified families and tenants and link them toour support and advice services

To help identified customers successfullymanage their tenancy and reduce lifestyleclashes with other residents

June 2015

Continue to signpost and refer customers whomay benefit from the help of our Money Wiseteam

To reduce the number of evictions for non-payment of rent and provide more help andadvice on managing finances

June 2015

Continue to signpost support services to tenantswho may be experiencing drug and alcoholrelated problems

To reduce levels of neighbour nuisance anddisputes and help identified tenants’ accesshealth support and services

September2015

Work with tenants to create a sense ofcommunity and reduce isolation throughbefriending

To help new tenants settle into theneighbourhood and create links to thecommunity and neighbours

March 2015

Neighbourhood team to continue with regularestate inspections (open to all tenants andleaseholders)

To provide regular monitoring of street levelappearance and visible issues

June 2015

Increase the use and targeting of mediationservices in neighbour disputes

To reduce neighbour disputes and improveneighbour relations

June 2015

Increase tenancy enforcement and supportactivity on untidy gardens and offer support andadvice where this is needed

To improve neighbourhood appearance andthe help available to residents for gardenmaintenance

September2015

Tenancy

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What? Why? When?

Set up a regular neighbourhood improvementgroup with tenants

To ensure services are more customer andneighbourhood focussed

March 2016

Develop and improve CommunityRegeneration initiatives within ourneighbourhoods

To improve neighbourhood appearanceand allow the community to target areasthey think are a problem, to build a senseof community spirit

March 2016

Continue to work with Tenant and Residentgroups, providing any support to develop theiractivities

To obtain detailed feedback from tenantsand residents specifically on services andwider neighbourhood issues, and workwith them jointly on neighbourhoodpriorities

September2014

Extend and improve activities for older tenantsvia Sheltered Scheme events

To improve community links betweenolder tenants in different parts of theneighbourhood and improve communityspirit and quality of life

September2015

Extend our links with furniture recyclingcommunity enterprises to help new andexisting tenants furnish their properties

To improve community access toaffordable furniture, build communitynetworks and develop a community’sability to work on projects together

March 2016

Develop a Time Bank scheme where tenantscan provide skills and support to each other

To build community cooperationnetworks, increase community spirit,self-help, improve inter-generational linksand build respect

March 2015

Involvement and empowerment

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Work has already begun in your neighbourhood on thevarious actions outlined in Your GREATNeighbourhood Promise.

We will be reviewing the plan frequently and will keepyou updated on the progress with an annual report.You will have the opportunity to be involved in this soplease watch out for advertised activities or requestsfor feedback.

However, if you have something to say, don’t wait forus to call you! If after reading this you have anyquestions, comments or suggestions, or if you wouldlike to get involved in fulfilling the plan, please contactus:

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 visityou in your own home.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you!

We hope that over the next three years, through theactions outlined in Your GREAT NeighbourhoodPromise, we will really make a visible difference to yourneighbourhood.

We believe that the key to achieving the goals set out inthis plan is to continue working together, with you, ourtenants and leaseholders.

Final Thoughts

What happens next?

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Westdale Lane Baptist Church and Community Centre

Phone: 0115 905 1515

Email: enquiries@gedlinghomes.co.uk

Website: www.gedlinghomes.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.co.uk/gedlinghomes

Twitter: @Gedling_Homes

Write: Gedling Homes, Gedling House,Wood Lane, Gedling, NG4 4AD

Contact UsIn person:

Customer Contact Centre,The Civic Centre,Arnot Hill Park, Arnold,Nottingham, NG5 6LU.

Opening times are9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday,9am to 4.30pm Friday