Handsworth Wood Ward Priorities

2. Community Priorities Presentation to Handsworth Wood Ward Committee 12 September 2012

3. HHNF • Established communities • Green belt (Sandwell Valley) • Good facilities (schools, golf course, pavilion) • Loss of assets (Hawthorn House) • Community safety (murders, ASB) • Handsworth Wood brand • Tackle traffic congestion (Hamstead/Friary) • Make better use of facilities (Pavilion) • Tackle hotspots

4. WHNF • Location • History of resident activity • Green belt (Sandwell Valley) • Community safety (ASB Sandwell Rd shops) • Environment (fly-tipping, planning failure!) • Facilities (Camp Lane, Oakland, Laurel Rd) • Support elderly (safety, income, activities) • Revamp Neighbourhood & Street Watch • Tackle ASB (street drinking, noisy neighbours)

5. CONF • Facilities (schools, playing fields, Hamstead industrial estate) • Community Safety (burglaries, drugs/ shooting-Bramley, drinking-Grange) • Environment (overhanging thorns & bushes, vermin in gated areas, parents parking) • Loss of facilities for public use (C/Orchard school) • Improve pathway from Romilly to C/Orchard • Improve effectiveness of neighbourhood forums • Improve communications – news. events, etc

6. TNA • Facilities (College Road shops, St. Andrews Sports & Com Centre) • Community safety (ASB, poor lighting) • Environment (dumping in public spaces, planning failure @ Tesco) • Community(loss of civic sense & pride) • Tackle traffic problems (congestion @ College Rd, speeding at HW Girls School) • Integrate new communities • Create a Community Hub

7. Street Survey - Priorities • Community safety • tackle speeding • Increase and improve policing • Environment • Improve lighting • Fill potholes • Maintain trees • Remove rubbish and litter • Clear, gate & maintain alleyways • Community • Restore civic pride • Improve usage of facilities for young people and elderly • Provide Information, advice and guidance post library and neighbourhood office closure

8. Public Survey – Priorities • Enforce law on Crime and Anti Social Behaviour – street drinking, drug dealing, litter dropping, dog fouling, develop derelict land and properties • Provide information, advice and guidance/ training for new migrants to enable their integration • Integrate planning to maximise job opportunities for local people • Reinstate play areas and ensure they’re within walking distance • Require agency staff to get out of their cars and offices and onto bikes and public transport.

9. Trader Survey - Priorities • Improve the local shopping centre experience • Better lighting • More bins cleared more regularly • Replace manhole covers • Improve paving • Clear alleyways • CCTV to deter anti social behaviour and theft • Promote local shopping centres • through branding, advertising, signage and loyalty schemes • Encourage integrated Agency action (e.g., schools and police) • to discharge their duty of care by encouraging people using local facilities to be more community conscious and to deal with their litter and noise

10. Ward Focus Group - Priorities • Community Safety • Ensure visible and effective policing • Revamp Street/Neighbourhood Watch and connect with Neighbourhood Forum/s and Neighbourhood Task Group/s • Empower young people to lead safer, cleaner, greener works. • Environment • use community payback on cleaner, greener, safer work • improve street lighting around public spaces • Tackle traffic management hotspots • bring back into use derelict and vacant spaces and gate or assign ownership • task urban designers to solve grass verge/parking tensions, make better use of greenbelt

11. Ward Focus Group - Priorities • Economic Impact • Create a Community Hub for new starts & micro businesses • Launch a hard hitting jobs and business support programme • Apply Mary Portas approach to local shopping centres) • Community • Launch a robust integration programme for new migrants • Launch a groundbreaking community resilience programme • Launch a dynamic website to replace lost Neighbourhood Office & library • Develop Neighbourhood Forum capacity to act as a community development trust • Pressure GPs and Hospitals to reduce appointment and waiting times • Make better use of facilities and create a sense of community with Annual Summer Festival and Achievement Awards

12. Ward Focus Group - Priorities • Governance • Council should focus its resources on building local community resilience and sustainability • More strategic and operational leadership to make the most of diminishing resources • Hold an Annual Ward Conference • Communication • Produce & distribute Newsletter • Develop and maintain Social Media channels • Initiate new ways to engage and involve residents (e.g., virtual ward meetings and Councillor surgeries)

13. Recommendations • Deliver an Annual Ward Conference • Capacity Build the Forums and at least 10 Community-led TSOs operating in the Ward • Improve civic engagement • Produce a newsletter for Ward wide distribution • Create a Community Hub at suitable location

14. Recommendations • Establish a Development Agency • Deliver a FutureLeaders Programme • Develop proposals for better public space and facilities utilisation • Local agencies consider the community identified projects and priorities as part of their planning and implementation arrangements.

15. Staying in Touch • Blog • http://handsworthwoodblog.wordpress.com/ • Facebook • https://www.facebook.com/groups/187101398066815/ • Report • Executive Summary • Download from Handsworth Wood Neighbourhood Forums Blog • Next meeting of local Neighbourhood Forum