As the latest Community Action Team programme drew to a close earlier this year we made arrangements to hold additional regular walkabout sessions in Blackhall Colliery to help ensure that the positive changes made in the village during the scheme would be sustained over the longer term (please see posts dated Tuesday 4 August and Saturday 29 August 2020 for background details about the Community Action Team).
The latest walkabout session took place yesterday morning and consisted of neighbourhood wardens, environmental health and housing officers, the parish clerk, the local PCSO and the community safety officer making up two separate groups to allow for social distancing measures. One group started at First Street and the other at Eleventh Street, with the intention of meeting somewhere in the middle.
The immediately obvious issue were the recent incidents of graffiti mainly around Ninth and Tenth Streets. These were reported earlier in the week for removal and work was scheduled to begin yesterday afternoon with completion expected by today.
As the walkabout progressed it was noticeable that most of the rear yards of empty properties that were cleared of rubbish and debris recently had remained cleared - especially in the bottom half of the village. There were a few additional incidents of fly-tipping in other yards in and around Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Streets however, and these have now been reported for clearance. In addition there were a few incidents of white goods and furniture left in the street and these have now been reported for clearance too (although it wasn’t clear whether some of these items had been abandoned in the street or whether they had been put out for collection).
Being out and about regularly is one of the most effective ways of keeping in touch with developing issues in our community, and it also offers the perfect opportunity to stop and chat with residents and others going about their daily business. Yesterday was no exception and alongside reporting the issues we came across we also got to hear first hand from residents about the things that affect them most, and what their expectations are for the future.
Our next scheduled walkabout has been arranged to take place next month. In the meantime however if there are any environmental issues you want me to know about, either in these streets or elsewhere in the villages of the Blackhall ward, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and I’ll do whatever I can to help out.
