Hard at work on the home front

REGENERATION is set to transform Derker bringing with it newly-built homes and a landscaped district by 2012.

But those who remain face living in streets where boarded-up properties stand awaiting demolition.

They say the lack of people living in the area makes them feel vulnerable to issues such as flytipping and vandalism.

But dedicated teams are in place to tackle the issues and keep Derker safe and secure.

Will Wills, project co-ordinator for Oldham Street Scene, admits Derker is a prime target for people travelling from outside the borough to dump waste.

He said: “We’ve found more and more people dumping in Derker and Werneth, they know its vacant land and they see this it as an easy target.

“A lot of people also come looking for steel goods to take with them, coming in pick-up trucks to take items with them and sell them for scrap.

“Residents might see this as a good thing because the items are being taken away but the vehicles are not licensed to carry waste away.”

To combat this problem, an extra Street Scene team heads out to Derker once a week to tackle issues such as fly-tipping.

The enforcement team has been known to follow vehicles dumping refuse in a bid to identify where they come from.

Mr Wills said the teams are so used to the battle against fly-tippers that they can name the streets that will be affected even before they are reported.

He said: “Hotspots include Anchor, Yates and Afghan streets, and back alleys are a problem.

“Fly-tipping affects everyone.

“If there is one piece of fly-tipping in Derker, the majority of residents will know about it because people will drive past it or walk their dogs past it.

“But people can phone our call centre, report it to Contact Oldham team and we pick up from there.

“We also have a facility where people can take pictures, upload the photo and an address and email it to tidy oldham.co.uk Then we can deal with it, take a photo afterwards and put the picture up.”

Another issue affecting residents is home security and concerns about vandalism and crime.

Julie Thompson, HMR neighbourhood programme manager, said there has been a focus on the problems an area faces when there are fewerpeople around.

She said: “We secure our housing to a very high standard with steel or polymer on the front doors and a steel sheet on the back to stop people from breaking in.

“Every Monday, my team will walk the area with technical officers to locate any problems and put that through to the Street Scene team.”

Newsletters help keep residents informed of what action is being taken, and cards are dropped through doors whens omething has happened.

Julie says residents aren’t always aware of how hard they work.

She said: “People are saying the teams don’t walk down the streets but we have evidence to show they do.

“However, we always welcome suggestions and people can contact Derker Neighbourhood Office with ideas.”

And residents are taking matters into their own hands — Derker Wardens keep a check on their area.

The group carries out litter surveys and is also looking into securing £25,000 funds to improve the area around the bus stop in Westminster Road.


Residents can report community issues on 0161 770 6644; Derker Neighbourhood Office can by contacted on 0161 652 8873.