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Environmental Improvements

1. Introduction

As part of its ongoing commitment to improve the general environment on its estates RBH is embarking upon a five year environmental improvements programme. This will see a variety of projects, both large and small, carried out right across the borough. Likely schemes will include:

a) fencing projects

b) parking schemes – both in-curtilage and at communal locations

c) hard landscaping – this refers to paving, walls, retaining structures and street furniture such as seats, bollards, notice boards & knee rails

d) soft landscaping – this includes trees, shrubs, plants, grass and earth modelling

e) courtyard refurbishment – i.e. projects designed to provide such areas with better security and facilities including fencing, landscaping, refuse disposal, drying & lighting

f) signage – improving signage to accommodation e.g. flats

g) lighting – providing/ upgrading lighting

h) security – this includes landscaping, boundary treatments & lighting works that would be implemented to reduce crime or the fear of crime

i) alley gating – working with Rochdale Council to erect self locking gates to the ends of alley ways and passageways that would then be the responsibility of surrounding tenants and residents who live around them

j) play facilities – upgrading play facilities including multi use games areas.

It is intended for this programme to continue and build upon much of the work that was undertaken as part of the highly successful multi million pound Creating Great Neighbourhoods project that RBH implemented in partnership with Rochdale Council in the period 2007-12. Here, 16 “Priority Estates” projects were implemented across the borough with larger scale works, often in excess of £250,000, making significant differences to estates. Additionally, over 250 smaller “Quick Win” schemes were carried out, often at the direct instigation of tenants, to tackle specific issues.

2. 2012-2013 Environmental Improvement Programme

This year’s £1.3 million programme comprises the following projects:

a) Spotland – in-curtilage parking and fencing scheme across the estate

b) Junction – courtyard refurbishments to all blocks of flats, creation of a communal parking facility and some rear fencing to houses

c) Kirkholt Curzon Road – in-curtilage parking and fencing scheme to around 84 properties in the Curzon Road, Curzon Close and Devonshire Road area

d) Chesham – in-curtilage parking and fencing scheme across the estate

e) Quick Wins – implementation of 7 smaller scale projects ranging from hard & soft landscaping to courtyard refurbishments and general security works at the following locations:

• Halliday Court, Smithybridge – work to front car park, some fencing and security lighting
• 19-25 Selby Close, The Cray – provision of new fencing & gates
• South Avenue/ Crown Road, Heywood – courtyard refurbishment
• Harwood Gardens/ Mount St, Heywood – courtyard refurbishment
• Civic Walk, Heywood – boundary treatments
• 1-17 Boleyn Court, Heywood – hard landscaping
• Maple Close, Middleton – communal parking scheme.

 

The final composition of all of the projects will be determined by both consultation and the scheme costs.

3. Envionmental Steering Group

RBH is determined to put tenants at the heart of everything it does and this is especially the case in relation to its environmental improvement programme. As such, the governance of the project is the responsibility of the Environmental Steering Group, a group of seven tenants that is serviced by a team of specialist officers, who are in charge of programming, financial monitoring, policy and performance. The seven tenants are Andrew Johnson, Sharon Worsley, Shirley Ann Ashworth, Debra Lord, Olga Zilinskas, Jeff Hudson and Alwyn Smith.

The photos below are of the Envionmental Steering Group:

4. Future Schemes

The composition of each year’s environmental improvements programme will be determined during the previous year. Currently, all that is programmed in for definite for 2013/14 is Pot Hall in Heywood. That means that this year up to 3 more “Priority Estates” schemes need to be identified for next year’s programme along with a batch of “Quick Wins” or smaller scale projects.

Historically, the Quick Wins have been approved by the Area Panels and to facilitate this each management area was allocated an individual budget figure. In the future, however, the overall budget will not be split in this way. It will be down to the Area Panels to put forward proposed projects and for the Environmental Steering Group to make the final decision on the final composition of the Quick Wins programme. It is intended to tender the Quick Wins as a single contract in the future so as to maximise value for money.

5. Examples of Environmental Improvement Schemes completed as part of the Creating Great Neighbourhoods Project

a) Boundary Treatments

   

Front fencing at Stansfield                                  Retaining walls & fencing on Kirklee

 

  

Front & side fencing on Castleton                  Rear fencing at Castleton

Freehold Communal Parking Scheme                Hopwood Parking                                                                       Communal Parking Scheme  

                             

Bramhall Close Communal Parking Scheme

 

 

 

 

 

New Play Facilities at Smallbridge(above)

 

 

New Play Facilities at Lower Falinge(right)

The play facilities at Lower Falinge attracted additional funding from the Marks and Spencer Greener Living Project.

 

d. Notice Boards & Signage

New Lockable Noticeboards were erected in open areas on the Hollin Estate (left) and the Brimrod Estate (below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

 

                         

 New signage was erected on the Freehold estate (above) and Meadway (below)

              

e. Security 

   

New security doors were fitted to properties in Falinge Hill (left) and Wardleworth (right).

Alleygating Scheme

Alleyways were gated in the Channing Street (left) and Hollin areas (right).

 

     

  

 Security gates were also fitted to stairwells around Freehold (above).

 Security fencing was installed around properties in Newbold (left) Angel Meadow (right) and Back o' th' Moss (below).                

      

 

Courtyards at Falinge Hill (left) and Heady Hill (right) were updated.

      

g. Landscaping

A variety of landscaping schemes of all types have been undertaken and below are just a few of them. From top to bottom these are Freehold, Newbold, Longhill and Baytree.     

 

The images below illustrate the landscaping schemes that took place in the following areas Julia Street (left) Ryefields (right) and Crowther Court (bottom).

1. Green Team/ Neighbourhood Environmental Action Team (NEAT)

 

RBH is lucky to have 2 additional resources at its disposal to help improve and maintain the environment on its estates across the borough and these are the Green Team & the Neighbourhood Environmental Action Team (NEAT).

The Green Team was set up in September, 2009 and to date has carried out in excess of 150 jobs. Works include land clearance e.g. removing fly-tipping, cutting back vegetation, etc., undertaking basic soft landscaping schemes i.e. levelling, turfing and planting out areas, carrying out basic hard landscaping projects e.g. small-scale flagging schemes, stoning up areas, etc., snow clearance and tidying gardens to void/ recently allocated properties and for people who are too infirm to be able to do this for themselves.

The team is made up of 6 particpants and one supervisor and it is a partnership between RBH and Groundwork Oldham Rochdale and as well as implementing basic environmental improvement works for the benefit of RBH and its tenants it also provides useful work experience for the clients working on the project backed up by some basic training in a number of key areas to give them a much better chance of securing employment in the construction industry. RBH fund the project and it is supported by the Government’s “Work Programme”

The NEAT Team is seen as the next stage for some of the people who have moved on from the Green Team and was established in September, 2010. It is made up of 5 participants and a supervisor. They are also mobile as they have a van. The rationale behind the NEAT Team is that it provides participants with the opportunity to work on a one year apprenticeship contract to further develop their construction skills.

The trainees are all working on modern apprenticeships NVQ Level 2 in Horticulture or Level 2 Diploma in Construction Operations – General Construction. The team works on more complex environmental schemes. They carried out the hard & soft landscaping on the Brighter Horizons developments at Dover Street & Romney Avenue and also implemented a similar scheme for RBH at the bungalows on Hope Street. Funding for this initiative comes from RBH.

Feedback on the Green Team & NEAT is very positive with high satisfaction ratings from the people making the referrals and amongst the clients/ participants who actually carry out the work.

Anyone wishing to make a referral to the Green Team or NEAT should contact their Neighbourhood Housing Team who will advise on the suitability of a suggested scheme and forward it on to the appropriate person.

Progress of 2012/13 Schemes

Spotland – To complete early in New Year, 2013

 

For any additional information on RBH Environmental Improvement Schemes please contact the RBH Environmental Improvement Team on 0845 070 5170.

 

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