Hastings Borough Council works with Southern Housing to improve local neighbourhood

Earlier this summer, Hastings Borough Council's Community Safety Manager and councillors Yunis Smith and Mike Turner met with Southern Housing to identify ways to deal with the waste and anti-social behaviour issues impacting residents of Oaktree Mews. These issues ranged from flytipping in the communal bin area, which prevented waste collection crews from accessing the bins, to regular anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.

Southern Housing worked to address the issues identified, which resulted in the fly-tips being removed, the bike and bin stores being adapted to make it harder for people to hide and carry out illegal activities, a streetlight being repaired, and security lighting on the path between Oaktree Mews and Linley Drive being installed to increase visibility and deter crime.

Hedge cutting has also been carried out at the entrance to the alley to Oaktree Mews and further cutting is planned to open up the alley and make it a less attractive location for people to gather. The abandoned van in this area has been reported to Operation Crackdown and will be removed shortly.

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, lead for Community Wellbeing at the council, explained, "We want Oaktree Mews residents to feel proud of their neighbourhood and safe in their homes, that's why it is important that we attend areas where issues have been raised to help identify appropriate improvements.

I want to thank Southern Housing, our local housing association provider, for taking the suggestions of our Community Safety Manager onboard and quickly addressing these. I hope residents will now have a real sense of pride, which will create safer and tidier environment for all." 

John O'Donnell, Housing Officer at Southern Housing added, "Our vision is to create communities where everyone has a safe home in a place where they're proud to live. That's rooted in how we operate, we're committed to investing in our neighbourhoods and ensuring residents are at the heart of our service.

We carry out regular estate inspections of Oaktree Mews and the surrounding neighbourhood with partner agencies. We also encourage residents to join these inspections, make suggestions and give feedback.

In a short space of time, we've been able to implement changes that we're confident will benefit those who live there. It's a great example of how collaborative working can lead to improvements for residents."