Mean street reclaimed for families
Reporter: Dawn Eckersley, Pictures: Anthony Miller
Date published: 30 September 2008
BRIGHTER future . . . housing officer Diane Wood at one of the empty properties
VANDALISM, graffiti, violence — The Spur in Fitton Hill has long been associated with anti-social behaviour.
But thanks to the work of Villages Housing Association, the council’s community safety unit and the police the future is looking bright.
In the past 12 months there has been an eviction, a termination of tenancy and several other actions to control unruly tenants and improve life for residents.
Christine Burrows (51) has lived in the street for 20 years and says she can see a definite improvement.
She added: “There have been good times and bad times but things are getting better.
“My three grandchildren used to refuse to walk to the shops on their own because they were scared. In the past they have been called names, threatened, attacked and set upon with dogs.
“They are now starting to feel more confident and will do more things on their own as the main trouble-causers have gone and the people who have moved into their properties seem really nice.
“I am hopeful that things will keep getting better and better.
“In the past I tried to make my house and garden look nice but someone always came to ruin things.
“Now you can see that more people are making an effort to smarten up their gardens and keep their properties looking smart. When it’s like this, it really is a great place.”
An eviction order is the last stage in the process of dealing with anti-social behaviour.
Before this, housing officers will attempt to help troublesome families, getting them to change their ways through various programmes.
The National Children’s Home will be called in to make sure that youngsters are being sent to school correctly and inspectors make spot checks to ensure tenants are keeping their property clean and tidy.
Villages Housing Association’s area director, Bernie McConnell, said: “We see an eviction as a failure because all the things we try to do to help will not have worked. So when someone does get evicted it is not for the lack of us trying to help them.
“Some people do change and we see an improvement in their behaviour, but others persist in making their neighbours’ lives a misery.”
Housing officer Diane Wood said: “For the most part, residents in The Spur are great and they have been very brave at coming forward to report anti-social behaviour.
“Some have even been prepared to stand up in court to help us to secure an eviction order.
“Now the main trouble-causers have gone we are hoping to bring about a positive atmosphere.”
Christine added: “All we want is peace and quiet in our homes and to live without the threat of being attacked or threatened. I am hopeful that we can achieve this”
