14 Dec 2023
In September, we asked you to review our Neighbourhood and Estate Management Policy. Thank you for taking the time to give us feedback. Your views help to develop our service in the future.
Over 100 of you provided feedback, letting us know what you thought was good, missing or needed to improve. We’ve been busy working through all your responses and have contacted 30 people directly to talk through individual issues and queries.
There were several areas that you flagged through your feedback, we’ve worked these into the policy going forwards and have included more information below.
- Why are we letting homes to people who cause problems for others? We try to develop and maintain neighbourhoods where people feel safe and happy. We provide homes for people in housing need through the Local Authority choice-based letting system. A small number of customers do cause problems for their neighbours, this is almost impossible to predict before a customer moves in. Where issues do arise, we will work with all those involved to provide support and take appropriate action.
- We don’t see the neighbourhood team in our area and would like more inspections. In response to this we have revised the Neighbourhood and Estate Management policy to make sure that our visits and inspections between neighbourhood audits are logged and recorded so that you can see where we’ve been and the impact. We’re taking a more personal approach and talking to more customers when on our inspections and audits.
- Can you take more action against customers who don’t look after their gardens or properties? We work with you to help you look after your tenancy and regularly inspect for damage to homes and untidy gardens. Action is taken where necessary, but this can be a long process until changes are evident. This year and into 2024 we’re reviewing the tenancy management process to improve results in this area and will be sharing information in the coming months.
- Fly tipping is a major problem, why don’t you provide a service or skips? We agree that fly tipping is a major issue, it’s also an expensive cost to remove rubbish that has been left. You should dispose of any household items at your local recycling centre or use your Local Authority’s bulky recycling service. Any service we provide to remove fly tipping or to provide skips is at a cost that would be fed back into the charges you pay through the neighbourhood service charge. If you see anyone fly tipping, please report it as soon as possible with details of any vehicle involved. We’ll follow up any reports with the Local Authority in an attempt to prosecute anyone we find fly tipping in your neighbourhood.
- There are many bikes and quads being illegally ridden around the neighbourhoods. This is a growing problem across the country and is a police matter. You can report any sightings through 101, Crimestoppers or through your local police website. By reporting every incident the police can build a pttern and understanding of behaviour which in time will help them to deal with the issue effectively. If you know where the bikes in your area are coming from and they’re associated with an Acis tenant, then please let us know so that we can take the appropriate action. As a result of you highlighting this issue we have included more detail in our Neighbourhood and Estate Management Policy.
- Communal spaces have not been looked after. We recognise that especially in our areas in the West, such as Sheffield, the grounds maintenance service has not created an environment we would like. We are working hard with our contractors to remedy the issues and improve the appearance of our green spaces and communal areas. We have reviewed our specifications for grounds maintenance based on your feedback and are re-tendering for a new contractor as a result to achieve the best service and value for money for you in 2024.
- Parking. We know that in many neighbourhoods parking is limited due to an increase in the number of cars per household. Where there are communal parking spaces or on street parking we ask that you be respectful and understanding. There are a few exceptions where we have designated individual parking for disabled customers or where plots are let or sold to individuals. It is not our policy to police parking on communal land or on public highways other than where there may be a clear breach of tenancy conditions. We have included this in our Neighbourhood and Estate Management policy for clarity.
- Can there be more CCTV in neighbourhoods? CCTV can be a useful tool in some situations. However, it is costly to operate and manage effectively. This cost may be added to service charges. As a result, to use CCTV effectively we carefully prioritise locations and what it is used for.
- Repairs. Some of you said you had repairs outstanding, but failed to give us your details so we were unable to contact you. If you have any repairs in your home that you need to report, please call us on 0800 027 2057.
You can read the new Neighbourhood and Estate Management policy now.
Thank you again for getting involved, sharing messages of support for the work we do and raising areas where we can improve.
If you wish to discuss any of these matters further you can message us on MyAcis, ring us on 0800 027 2057 or email us at info@acisgroup.co.uk.