Estates and Communities Panel – 15 October 2024

Attendees: 

Tenant members – Linda, Eleanor, Margaret, Sav, Christine, Marie Christine, Ronnie, Clare, Gaynor, Mary, Evelyn, Chloe-Louise, Robert, Clare

Christine Allen, Service Manager, Housing Neighbourhoods

Danny Hogg, Operations Manager, Street Cleansing and Enforcement

Lauren Young, Neighbourhood Manager (East)

Leeanne Rooney, Neighbourhood Manager (West)

Mel McKee, Neighbourhood Housing Officer

Peter Brady, Engagement Officer

Angela Melvin, Engagement Manager

Apologies: Tenant member – Samantha

 

1. Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising

Community & Public Space Protection Team: The panel asked if the team is going to attend a future meeting to give an update about their service. CA replied that the team are moving back into Housing and Property Services.  There is a job advert out to employ a new manager for the team. When an appointment has been made, they will be invited to the meeting.

 

2. Neat Streets

DH informed the panel about the new approach between housing and the Neat Streets team that was implemented following Housing’s restructure in June 2023.  Funding has been agreed for further environmental resources until March 2025.

The panel were then updated on the recent performance of the team that included: 

  • 223 Communal block inspections
  • 241 Street inspections
  • 47 Neat Street referrals
  • 2,506 Garden inspections
  • 470 Tonnes of rubbish collected
  • 14 Estate clean ups carried out and 31.5 tonnes of rubbish removed
  • 150 Additional ‘Helping Hands’ visits carried out; the overall total was 700

The panel asked if the estate clean ups were for all residents and DH replied that they were for housing tenants only.

The panel requested what happens to the bulky rubbish removals when a tenant is elderly, incapable or has no relatives to help get the rubbish into the street for collection. 

After a discussion it was agreed that the panel had identified a gap in the service.  This will require a meeting with Housing, Environment and Adult Social Care to see if they can resolve this issue.  An update will be given at the next meeting (CA to action).

A question was asked about bulky rubbish removals for tenants in North Tyneside Living accommodation, CA will take this up with the North Tyneside Living management team and report back at the next meeting. 

 

3. Housing Officer Q&A

CA informed the panel about the Housing Management services delivered to North Tyneside Council Tenants These included:

  • Tenancy Reviews
  • Garden inspections / enforcement
  • Garden Care scheme / garden tool loan
  • Tenancy changes
  • Pre-termination visits / Terminations
  • 6-week and 8-month visits for new tenants
  • Communal block inspections
  • Estate walkabouts
  • Estate / Tenancy Management issues
  • Neighbour disagreements / boundary disputes

The panel stated that they were unaware who their local Housing Officer was and how to contact them. LY confirmed that the information about all the local Housing Officers is available and will share this with the group. AM confirmed that this information will be going on the Our North Tyneside Voice website.

The panel asked what was happening with the results of their recent Tenants Review Letters consultation. CA thanked the panel for all their comments. She added that there is going to be a catch up with the Team Leaders to review the comments and get back to the panel (CA to action).

Some members of the panel stated that they have never had a Tenancy Review. MM replied that the reviews had only began in April and had only been targeting a few streets at a time. So far, the feedback has been positive with Housing Officers helping and signposting tenants to information and services they may require.

A member of the panel has recently had a review, and it had gone well. She added that she knew what to expect from the visit through her involvement with the panel.

AM confirmed that the winter issue of the council magazine will have a page for tenant involvement, covering tenancy reviews, communal block inspections and estate walkabouts. 

 

4. Measuring performance 

CA gave an overview of recent performance relating to new tenant visits, tenancy reviews, communal block inspections and estate inspections/walkabouts. 

CA informed the panel that the Tenancy Review targets of 375 to be achieved monthly are not being met at the moment. This was partially due to the amount of follow-on work arising from the visits. At the start of the process, the Housing Officers were targeting tenancies of people aged 65+, we have now given the Housing Officers the opportunity to choose the streets for further reviews to help increase performance.

The panel was interested to know if there were many ‘no access’ appointments during the reviews and asked if they are being recorded. CA they are keeping a list of the no access properties. These will be monitored, and we will seek legal advice on what we can do next. The panel will review these at the next meeting.

New Tenant Visits are off target at the moment, and these will be reviewed by the panel at the next meeting.

 

5. Neighbourhood Strategy

CA informed the panel that, as part of the new housing regulations, Housing is planning to introduce a Neighbourhood Strategy. This strategy will say how we are going to look after our neighbourhoods.

We want the panel to be involved at the start of this process and help us create places where people are proud to live, which are well managed and maintained so that residents feel safe and assured. The strategy needs to include information about:

  • Environment
  • Neighbourhood Officers
  • Communal Blocks
  • Engagement and support

The panel was asked to discuss these four topics to be included in the strategy. The following comments were received:

  • The council needs to define what ‘environment’ means as it is different for everyone, different family sizes and different needs.
  • Explain how people can be involved, to help bring pride and ownership to the areas.
  • There is a need for an integrated team on estates to include Housing, Police and Adult Social Care.
  • Increase biodiversity and land drainage on environmental work.
  • More visibility of Housing Officers on estates.
  • All calls that go through one telephone number/email address to be answered quickly. Also need a reply with a response to know that emails have been received.
  • Tenants need to know what the council can and cannot do.
  • Housing Officers to have regular meetings in the community and these should be advertised on Our North Tyneside Voice.
  • Housing need to contact local community groups as they know what is going on in the estates.
  • One ‘Team Player’ to contact to speak up for local estates issues.
  • Involve people to help report anything that needs to be sorted in communal blocks.

CA thanked the panel for their input, and these will be used in helping develop the Neighbourhood Strategy at the next meeting.

 

6. Future topics

  1. The role of the Community & Public Space Protection team
  2. Neighbourhood Strategy
  3. The role of the Housing Needs Team
  4. Tenancy agreement review update