Neighbourhood news news Northern Moor Issue 01 Your Neighbourhood Team Welcome to the first edition of Neighbourhood News, this will now replace your patch newsletter and we are hoping that this will provide you with information of what is happening in your local neighbourhood. To compliment the Neighbourhood News we will be issuing quarterly news updates to keep you informed of the patch plan progress and other news from in and around your local area. Craig Rigby Neighbourhood Team Leader Helen Clarke Neighbourhood Officer Hayley O Connell Tenancy Officer Contact Your Neighbourhood Team on 946 6388 Each neighbourhood team now has a Team Leader, supported by Neighbourhood Officers and a Tenancy Officer, who deal with things relating to your tenancy, for example: transfer requests, tenancy termination and new tenants. Your Neighbourhood Officer will continue to deal with all other enquiries about your area.
Patch Plan Works Completed 2011/12 Northern Moor Following consultation with tenants and residents extensive improvement works have been completed on Nesfield Road, Hazelhurst Walk and Vawdrey Drive. These improvements include installation of new fencing to the rear of all walk up flats in the area and landscaping work has also been completed. This work has complimented the upgrade of the communal areas and exterior improvements already carried out to the flats. This has greatly improved the overall look and security of the area. Before After After Page 2 Issue 01 Neighbourhood news
Patch Plan Works Proposed for 2012/13 Your Neighbourhood Officer has been out and about in the area, talking to tenants and residents and getting their views on local priorities to improve the neighbourhood. A number of key themes have emerged as a result of our conversations. Some of the priorities identified by tenants and residents for the area are mainly around environmental improvements. Groups of tenants and residents have already put forward ideas, that we have acted up on and these will form the basis of our 2012/13 patch plan for your area. Some of the ideas included looking at disused or unaccessible land in the area. Some great ideas were put forward to give this land a new lease of life: by creating community gardens that tenants and residents could use and take ownership of, with the help of Parkway Green. Land identified for community gardens include: Right: Overgrown, unaccessible land at Bordley Walk Below: Land locked ground to the rear of Woodham Road flats The proposal for this area is to create some secure parking for tenants alongside a new purpose built community garden. Page 3
Patch Plan Works Proposed for 2012/13 We welcome feedback from tenants on these proposals. Tenants from the Aldfield Road area have forwarded ideas to improve the boundaries to the flats where they live. One suggestion is to replace the fencing to the perimeter of the flats with a different style and also create enclosed bin storage areas. The idea to enclose the area was as a result of residents suffering from persistent fly tipping, youths gathering in the area causing annoyance and the lack of space to accommodate all of the recycling bins at the front of the properties. Pictures right highlight current issues on Aldfield Road Page 4 Issue 01 Neighbourhood news
Investment and Property 2011/12 Northern Moor has seen over 2.5 million pounds of environmental boundary treatments carried out in the area during 2011/12. The boundary treatment programme included the creation of driveways to many of the properties to help alleviate the on road parking problems with many others receiving new walls and gates to their front boundaries. 2012/13 The coming year will see Phase C of our communal upgrade scheme. Refurbishment of communal areas started in February 2012, and will continue until late summer 2012. The refurbishment will include new entrance doors, upgrade to the fob entrance system and redecoration to the internal communal areas. To compliment the new décor new floor coverings will also be laid to stairwells and landings. The areas to benefit from this phase of improvements will have received full consultation and will have been notified of the commencement date. The areas involved include Bordley Walk maisonettes and other smaller projects across your neighbourhood. 2012/13 will also see additional improvements carried out to alleviate parking problems. The proposal is to create additional parking to the Hillend Road area. Additional Parking will be created to the Hillend Road area Page 5
Your Community Woodham Road As a community based business, Parkway Green go far beyond repairing and maintaining the bricks and mortar of your homes. As customers live in our properties 24/7 we realise that if channelled correctly, our resources can have a massive impact on improving the lives of local individuals, families and even whole communities. We do this in a range of ways and everyone of them is driven by you, our customer. We know that responding to our customers specific needs is key and we recognise that what works in one area may not necessarily work in another. Through our Giving Something Back Day the Northern Moor residents told us how they would like Parkway Green to spend a day tidying up their local area. We did this by repainting the Woodville Community Centre, painting and tidying up at Norbrook youth club, clearing of land to the rear of Woodham Road flat s and painting of newly erected fencing at Vawdrey Drive. We have also worked with the local primary schools in various ways from supporting our Youth Panel (PGYP) to promote issues around dog fouling and raise awareness of dangerous dogs amongst young children to working with the local children at St Aidans Primary school, where they planted flower pots and distributed them to local residents. St Aidens planting day Woodville Community Centre Resident receiving pot Celebrating in Royal style Tenants and Residents groups from across Wythenshawe are coming together to help celebrate the Queen s Diamond Jubilee with a huge event in Wythenshawe Park. Wythenshawe Together will be a celebration of local community spirit on Saturday 2 June to help mark HM Queen Elizabeth s 60 years on the throne. There will be something for everyone and the event will be supported by Parkway Green and Willow Park Housing Trusts. But the organisers need your help! They need volunteers to get involved - whether it s helping to fundraise, organise prizes for the tombola or even run a Punch & Judy stall on the day. Chairperson of Wythenshawe Together, Pat Higson said, We re expecting record numbers of visitors on the extended bank holiday weekend and want to provide a full day of fun and enjoyment for Wythenshawe and the surrounding areas so please come and get involved in this community celebration. To volunteer or for more information please contact organiser Jackie on 0161 998 6855 or Pat Higson on 0161 998 4170. Page 6 Issue 01 Neighbourhood news
Your Community As well as supporting the Northern Moor Festival which has been a flagship event of the Northern Moor Neighbourhood in recent years, our Community Development Grants Scheme has supported many other projects within the area and has given financial support to local community groups who need it most. We have helped to provide new flooring in St Michael s Church allowing many of our groups affordable, state of the art facilities, to providing funding to the local bee s club and Dragon Martial Arts group. The Community Development Grants Scheme has helped hundreds of residents within Northern Moor. Aside from speaking to Parkway Green directly, your local Tenants and Residents Association (TARA) is your vehicle to raise local issues. They are run by local residents who are elected in each year and manage the TARA on your behalf. TARAs meet once a month to discuss local issues with the Police, Manchester City Council and Parkway Green. Your local TARA is Northern Moor Tenants and Residents Association who meet at the Woodville Community Centre on the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm. The Bordley Walk Action Team (BWAT) represents residents from the Bordley Walk area and meet quarterly- next meeting 1st May 6:30pm at Norbrook Youth Club, Bordley Walk, Northern Moor. As we say, this is your neighbourhood and your community and we aim to continue to work with you on a whole host of ideas over the next twelve months. So if you have an idea for a project, some grant funding or just want to make things better, contact your local Tenants and Resident Association or your Neighbourhood Officer, Helen Clarke. Upcoming Walkabouts Your Neighbourhood Officer will be carrying out walkabouts in the local area, these are your opportunity to discuss any issues, look at plans for future improvements or just have a natter. Please feel free to give Helen a call to arrange your attendance on the walkabout or simply turn up on the day. Your next walkabouts are arranged for: 25th May 2012 Leaving from Button Lane Primary School at 10am followed by: 29th June 2012 Leaving from Norbrook Youth Club at 10am 27TH July 2012 Leaving from Moorcroft Road Shops at 10am Please look out for more dates in your quarterly updates. Page 7
About your Neighbourhood We want your Neighbourhood to be a great place to live Do you know the make up of your Neighbourhood? Number of current tenants: 1029 Number of new tenants to the area: (over the past 12 months) 59 How your Neighbourhood is performing The average time it took us to let an empty property in your neighbourhood 19 Days Satisfaction with your neighbourhood as a place to live 92.5% Number of repairs completed in your neighbourhood (April 11 to March 12) 3726 Rent arrears have reduced from 206,842 to 199,655 in your neighbourhood over the last 12 months Number of properties: 1040 Number of Anti Social Behaviour cases opened in the Neighbourhood: 46 % of customers aged 18 25: 7% Types of Properties: Bungalow 17 Flat 341 House 678 Maisonette 4 % of customers 65+ years: 15% % of customers Black Minority Ethnic: 3.52% Design & Print: Astwood Design Consultancy T : 01789 778111 www.astwood.co.uk