As most local residents will already know I'm out on the streets regularly, talking to people and spotting any local issues early before they become a problem, so I usually have a lot of issues to report every day. However, I've been out and about leafleting almost all day, every day since last Friday so I've had an extended opportunity over the weekend to talk directly with residents about the issues that affect them and their neighbourhoods.
The general feeling is that things are improving, although that doesn't conceal the fact that there's always more to do especially where litter and fly-tipping are concerned. Another key issue is the condition of some of the properties in the numbered streets in Blackhall Colliery, although many residents have acknowledged a marked improvement since the Community Action Team project went live last month.
Residents have also commented on the number of empty properties now on the market after some of the more irresponsible absent landlords have been driven out of the village since the selective licensing scheme came into effect. The intention of the scheme is to register private-rented sector landlords and then hold them to account if their properties fall into disrepair or their tenants cause any disruption. On these issues alone there have been some significant and visible improvements.
In addition, the CAT scheme has included regular street walkabouts to identify where the main problems are identified and addressed within days, alongside a campaign to ask residents to identify their three main priorities and then encourage them to report any concerns to the council or the CAT team for their attention. The main issues identify littering, dog fouling and rubbish abandoned in the open yards of empty properties.
I'm due to meet with the CAT team later this week to assess the impact the CAT team has had in the village, and I’ll give an update towards the end of this week. But in the meantime I've reported quite a few additional issues over the past few days for the attention of the relevant agencies (ie, the police and neighbourhood wardens etc). I’ve listed some of these issues below.
A resident has asked me to find out what happened to the public bench that used to be next to the bus shelter on the Coast Road at the top of Poplar Avenue. The seat was reported to be well-used and residents asked if it could be replaced.
Residents in Hepscott Avenue told me about litter and fly-tipping along the front of the street, along with reports of rubbish piled into the back yards of some of the empty properties.
I was also told about a number of incidents of fly-tipping and littering in some of the streets and back lanes and also on the steps between the Scheme Houses and the A1086 Coast Road.
A number of residents also got in touch over the weekend to tell me about parked vehicles causing an obstruction on the public footpath near the community centre on Hesleden Road. This appears to be developing into a regular problem where some cases vehicles are completely blocking the footpath forcing people into the road to get past.
These issues have all been reported to the council and police over the past few days for their attention.
