Elected Member Briefing - Update on Estate Based Initiatives improvements for North Locality

About this briefing note

Report by: Elaine Ritchie, Senior Service Manager, Housing

Date: 20 July 2023

Subject: Update on Estate Based Initiatives improvements for North

Responsible Officer: Carrie Clark, Housing Co-ordinator, North Locality

Details

Purpose

This briefing note is to update you about the Housing Service's Estate Based Initiatives programme for 2023/24 in the North Locality.

Briefing Information 

During April and May 2023 the Housing Service held a number of neighbourhood walkabouts with tenants and residents across Perth and Kinross, as part of our Estate Based Initiative (EBI) scheme.

EBI is designed to deliver small neighbourhood improvements on Housing Revenue Account land.

Under EBI, Council tenants and local residents identify neighbourhood improvements during local walkabouts, attended by local elected members and housing staff.  An EBI budget is designated to each Housing locality area for them to use in partnership with local communities.

Any proposed project must be on communal ground/property owned by the Housing Revenue Account and contribute to at least one of the following:

• Community Safety
• Improve the appearance of the area
• Increase tenant involvement in their community.

The EBI process puts decisions about small neighbourhood improvements into the hands of people who live in those communities.

Following this year's walkabouts in the North Locality, the following community improvements have been identified to be taken forward during 2023/24:

Patch 1 - Stanley and Upper Blair

• Replace collapsed boundary fence at 26-40 Manse Crescent
• Installation of two additional CCTV cameras at Picture House Court, Blairgowrie
• Common areas at Picture House Court, Blairgowrie to be weed-killed
• Possible marking of parking bays at 34-40 Whiteloch Avenue, Carsie, Blairgowrie (we are awaiting further feedback from the Traffic & Network Team).
• Possible regeneration of the drying green at 56-66 Jessie Street, Blairgowrie

Patch 2 - Springbank Road, Alyth

• No real concerns were identified. Discussions are ongoing with a youth partnership in the area in terms of possible support to an ongoing project.
• Minor works in other areas are being reviewed and costs are being sourced for some very small tidy-up jobs. 

Patch 3 - Lower Blair

• Tidy-up in Davie Park Place/Ashgrove Road/Ashgrove Gardens. The Unpaid Work Team has been asked to carry this out and we are waiting for them to confirm if they will be willing to undertake the work.
• Old Mill Road: Council colleagues from Environment have agreed to undertake weeding work requested on two open space areas. We will purchase bark for the areas and arrange for collection by colleagues to complete the work.

Patch 4 - Dunkeld, Logierait, Pitlochry and Aberfeldy

• St Ninians Court - new signage.
• Springwells Court - extensive works done last year but some points identified and may be progressed depending on budget.
• Stell Park - tenant consultation pending re bike stores and garden driers
• Willowbank - consultation to be carried out over possible bike store
• Murray Terrace - Referral made to roads for damaged fencing.
• Kennedy Place - possible bike store and seating area
• Finlay Terrace - works order issued to cut back growth on open space
• Tombauld Cottages - ongoing tenant consultation about storage options
• Aberfeldy - extensive funds have been spent here over the last year. We will revisit depending on available budgets later this year.

Patch 5 - Upper Rattray

• Cut back the bush in front of 14-20 Glendevon Court
• Cut bushes from hedges and trim back bushes 1-30 Glenalmond Road
• Weedkilling between the odd and even numbers of Ferguson Park Road
• Cracking and lifting of tar due to tree roots in the area between Glenalmond Road and Glendevon Court - Greenspace to survey and advise of the outcome.
• Tidy up area of grass at Hatton Place - Unpaid Work Team have carried this out.
• Repair/Replacement of railings at Ferguson Park Road - Works have been passed to Improvements Team.
• Repair of fence at 28-30 Glenalmond Road - Passed to Repairs and fence now replaced.
• Removal/Repair of fence at 66 Glenalmond Road - Passed to Repairs.
• Replace/Repair steps at 2 areas of Glendevon Court - Passed to Repairs.
• Faulty Lighting at 1-9 Glenalmond Road - Passed to Repairs.
• Damaged fascias of 49 and 51 Glenshee Drive - Passed to Repairs

We will work with local tenants and residents over the next 12 months to take forward the neighbourhood improvements, which will enhance the local area.

The work will be planned this financial year and every effort will be made to ensure the work is concluded, but some of the projects will be reliant on external contractors and other services.