Everyone has the right to the quiet enjoyment of their home and its surroundings. Under your tenancy agreement you must not behave in a way that causes nuisance to people living near by. You are responsible for your behaviour at all times both at home and in your Neighbourhood. You are also responsible for the behaviour of the rest of your household (including children) and visitors to your home.
Nuisance and Anti –Social Behaviour
All tenants have the right to peaceful enjoyment of their homes. We want to prevent problems caused by nuisance and anti-social behaviour and ask that all tenants and their families are considerate towards their neighbours. You must keep the peace by ensuring that you do not create any form of nuisance to others. You can help by reporting incidences of anti-social behaviour to us and other the police. We treat all neighbour nuisance complaints seriously and will take whatever action is necessary to resolve the problem.
If you behave in an anti-social manner, we may take legal action to evict you from your home. If you are evicted because of anti-social behaviour, we will refuse you further Council accommodation.
Some examples of Anti-Social Behaviour are:
Noise Nuisance
Noise nuisance can take many forms e.g. rowdy parties, barking dogs, loud music and persistent car alarms and burglar alarms. Problems caused by noise can be very distressing and can lead to neighbour disputes if consideration is not taken. You must ensure that noise is kept to a reasonable level.
Drug and alcohol abuse
Anti-social behaviour is often associated with drug and alcohol abuse. Late night rowdy behaviour and a constant stream of visitors day and night can interfere with your neighbours’ quiet enjoyment.
Harassment
Pets
Most tenants are allowed to keep domestic pets but they must be kept under proper control and are not allowed to cause nuisance to others. Do not allow dogs to roam free or foul grass verges, paths or communal areas. No other animals or livestock may be kept without our prior written permission. Tenants in sheltered schemes must gain permission before getting a pet.
Dog Warden
If you are experiencing problems with stray dogs or dog fouling, or want advice about a problem dog please call High Peak Borough Council on 0845 129 7777 or speak to your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator.
Car Parking
You must not park any vehicles on any verge or land used for recreation that is maintained by us or the Council or in a way likely to cause obstruction to others. Large vehicles such as caravans, boats and lorries must not be parked on driveways, in parking areas or on garage sites without written permission. You must not park any vehicle in your garden without written permission from us. You must not cause an obstruction by parking vehicles on the forecourts or garage sites. All vehicles must be taxed and in a roadworthy condition. Any untaxed or unsafe vehicles will be removed.
Running a Business
You must not run a business from your home without first obtaining written permission. We will not refuse permission unreasonably unless we feel the business is likely to cause a nuisance to other people or damage the property. We will not allow certain businesses such as car repairs and taxi services.
How we deal with Anti-Social Behaviour and Nuisance complaints
If you experience nuisance and cannot sort the problem out yourself or the problem is serious, you can contact your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator for help. Below are some steps we may take in dealing with nuisance complaints.
Investigation
We will try to build up a clear picture of the problem by speaking to you and the person who the complaint is about.
Action plan
If we agree that a nuisance is being caused, we will draw up an action plan. Part of this is may be asking you to monitor the situation by keeping a Diary sheet please click here for guidelines on how to use the diary sheets. We may liaise with other Council Services or the Police if necessary. We will consider using the following remedies:
Only in exceptional circumstances can we proceed to court immediately. Usually we need to gather evidence and monitor the situation, which can take weeks or even months depending on the nature of the problem. Your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator will keep you informed of progress made.
Service standards – Nuisance and Anti-Social Behaviour
We will…
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Treat all complaints of nuisance behaviour seriously
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Respect your confidentiality at all times
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Investigate all complaints in a sympathetic, firm and impartial manner
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Keep records of all interviews, visits and correspondence
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Expect you to help us solve the nuisance behaviour problem by keeping records of events and in extreme cases, giving evidence in court
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Take whatever action is necessary to stop nuisance behaviour
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Tell all concerned about what action we intend to take and the affect it may have
You must…
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Try and talk to your neighbours first to see if you can sort out the problem between yourselves
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Contact us for help if you cannot solve the problem yourself or you feel the problem is serious
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Be prepared to monitor the situation by keeping a written record of events in order to help us investigate
Derby Mediation Service
As our main aim is to resolve matters through amicable means, we use mediation as a main tool. We are partners in the independent Derby Mediation Service, who have trained members of our own staff and tenants as mediators. We can also call on trained mediators from outside the High Peak, through other partners in the Derby Mediation Service. Your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator will ususally offer mediation as a way to resolve neighbour disputes and you should contact them for more details.
Safer Places to live
High Peak Community Housing is working in partnership with Derbyshire Constabulary to tackle the issue of crime and anti-social behaviour in our Neighbourhoods. Together we are determined, with your help, to deal swiftly and effectively with the perpetrators of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Derbyshire Constabulary now have officers based in our Neighbourhood offices at Fairfield and Gamesley who work closely with the Neighbourhood Co-ordinators. In other areas of the borough we have forged close links with the local beat officers and together we are targeting the perpetrators of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Together with the Police we have established Safer Neighbourhood Teams in Gamesley, Glossop, Hadfield and Fairfield. These teams deal with reducing crime and the fear of crime by a variety of methods such as joint enforcement action and diversionary tactics. It is our intention to establish Safer Neighbourhood Teams in all our areas.
We rely on your help to combat crime and anti-social behaviour in your area. Please help us make your area a safer place to live. If you have any information about crime or incidents of anti-social behaviour please speak in confidence to your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator, Neighbourhood Caretaker or the Police.
Taking care of the area where you live
As well as looking after your home, we also expect you to take good care of the area where you live. To help us make your Neighbourhood a pleasant and safe place to live, you should let us know if something needs doing or if you spot someone dumping rubbish or carrying out acts of vandalism or graffiti.
We carry out Environmental Improvements to all our areas such as putting in flower beds, benches, parking bays as well as dealing with issues relating to crime safety such as improved lighting, and closing of ginnels.
Gardens
You have a responsibility to keep your garden clean and tidy. Grassed areas should be cut regularly and trees and hedges should not be obstruct public footpaths or interfere with a neighbour’s property.
We understand that some of our tenants may have physical difficulty maintaining their garden to an acceptable level. We operate a Garden Maintenance Scheme for elderly and disabled tenants who have difficulty with their gardens and whose friends, neighbours or family cannot help them.
Tool Loan Scheme
We are piloting a Tool Loan scheme at the moment, which we are hoping to extend to the whole borough in April 2007. This allows tenants to borrow items such as lawn mowers to help maintain your gardens.
Grounds Maintenance
To help maintain the overall appearance of the area in which you live, we are responsible for regularly mowing communal grassed areas. We also ensure communal hedges and shrub beds neat and tidy. Please let us know if there are any problems or if you wish to be involved in monitoring the standards of work.
Garages
If you rent a garage from the council, you must keep to your Garage Tenancy Agreement and make sure that you only use the garage for storing your own private motor vehicle. You must not use the garage for commercial business purposes.
Rubbish storage and removal
You must not store rubbish or old furniture in your garden. Never dump rubbish in communal areas or on open land as this is called Fly tipping and is illegal. Please be considerate when putting out rubbish making sure that you securely wrap up and tie anything that will attract the attention of cats and dogs. If you have difficulty organising removal of rubbish or bulky items contact your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator.
Bulky rubbish removal
High Peak Borough Council will take away bulky items of rubbish for a small charge. If you are claiming Housing or Council Tax Benefit, bulky refuse will be removed for half the normal price. To arrange the removal of bulky rubbish, contact Environmental Services on 0845 129 7777.
Living in Flats
If you live in a flat or maisonette, you have special responsibilities especially to other neighbours living close by. Problems can arise if residents do not co-operate in looking after the areas that they share, such as lifts, foyers, staircases and bin areas.
Your Tenancy Agreement requires you to keep all communal areas clean and tidy. Although we have caretakers or scheme supervisors who look after communal areas, you can still look after communal areas, you can still help us by promptly reporting any faults or repairs to these areas e.g. communal areas, lights, door entry systems, lifts and communal television aerials.
Here are some important things to remember if you live in a maisonette:
Refuse Disposal – please use refuse collection areas properly and make sure that bins, bin areas and refuse chutes are not left in an untidy state. Do not store any rubbish in communal areas as this could cause a fire hazard and prevent people from getting out of the block in case of fire.
Lifts – do not overcrowd the lifts. Promptly report any breakdowns to the caretaker, scheme supervisor or Neighbourhood Co-ordinator.
Door entry systems – door entry systems are provided for increasing security. They are expensive to maintain so it is important that they are used with care. If your home has a communal door entry system, always make sure that the door is locked behind you when you enter or leave. Always make sure you know who the caller is before you let them into the block – if in doubt don’t let anyone in. Be careful not to lose your communal key/fob and take care who you give the spare to.
Pets – you must keep all pets under control and not allow them to foul in communal areas.
Noise - noise travels fast in blocks of flats. It is important that you consider your neighbours and keep noise to a reasonable level, particularly when playing music, listening to the radio or watching television. A little consideration from everyone can help avoid any unnecessary conflict.
We can help too
Neighbourhood Caretakers
Our Neighbourhood caretakers act as a local point of contact with tenants and residents to ensure that the area in which you live remains a pleasant and safe place to be. It is the role of the Neighbourhood Caretaker to:
- Make sure Neighbourhoods and communal areas are kept in a clean and tidy condition.
- Carry out minor repairs to properties and communal areas.
- Make sure that empty properties, blocks of flats and communal areas are secure.
- Report and resolve any issues raised by tenants and residents e.g. fly tipping, graffiti, criminal damage, vandalism etc.
Environmental Improvements
Each year we carry out Environmental Improvements to the areas where you live. We concentrate on improving the communal areas of Neighbourhoods, examples of Environmental Improvements include:
- Landscaping/Flower beds
- Provision of parking bays
- Enclosing communal areas
- Re-designing/ repairing paths and communal walkways
- Benches and seating
- Play facilities
All suggestions for Environmental Improvements come from issues raised by people living in our Neighbourhoods. We would welcome suggestions from you on ways we can improve the area around where you live. If you have any suggestions please contact your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator or Neighbourhood Caretaker.
Service Standards – Neighbourhood Management
We will…
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Visit and check the appearance of Neighbourhoods, communal areas and garage sites on a regular basis (at least once per month)
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Take the necessary action to make sure that the person or agency responsible deals with any identified problems promptly.
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Carry out repairs to communal areas and facilities quickly.
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Keep communal areas clean, tidy and free from rubbish
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Respond promptly to problems identified by residents in the Neighbourhood
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Be proactive in identifying and dealing with problems
You must…
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Keep gardens and communal areas neat and tidy
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Promptly report repairs to communal areas
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Let us know if something needs doing in the area in which you live
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Tell us and the police if you spot anyone committing a crime in your area
Useful Contacts
Environmental Health
For pest control, stray dogs, health and safety, pollution and persistent car and burglar alarms.
01663 752004
Environmental Services
Contact for refuse collection, street cleaning and abandoned cars.
0845 129 4868
Police
For all local enquiries
0845 123 3333
RSPCA
08705 555 999
(national 24 hour helpline)
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