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News Bulletin from the Neighbourhood Management Team Area 2

August 2010

Every month the Neighbourhood Management Team and the Police Neighbourhood Teams meet to discuss operational issues.  Detailed below is a snapshot of some of the activity within the eight wards in Area 2 in the last month.

Lyndon and Elmdon

Annie Masters, Neighbourhood Co-ordinator

Sgt Carol Alldred

• ASB on Campden Green has reduced slightly .

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 .   There has been a slight increase in burglary and vehicle crime, which is being                targeted by the NPT and a specialist squad.  There have been a number of arrests. 

• The next ‘Conversation With A Purpose’ will be at the end of August with the occupants of the flats above Hobs Moat Road.
• There has been a further spate of graffiti in Barn Lane park which has been upsetting both for residents and for the Environment Champions who only recently painted the changing rooms. Patrols have been increased and the area is a priority for the NPT.
• The NMT worked with Probation and Ringway to complete a project to clear vegetation and improve the car park surface leading to the air cadets building on Scott Road.  We received a lovely complimentary letter from the air cadets “I wanted to contact you to say a big thank you for completing the work in such a professional manner.  The workmanship has been excellent. The thickness of gravel laid was amazing, and all of the weeds and bushes have been removed. We now have a pot hole free driveway, and no more rain filled holes.”
• Greggs bakers have signed up as Environment Champions and are undertaking a clear up project at Hobs Moat on the afternoon of Friday 10th September.  Trish is advertising the event through the Keep Britain Tidy website.  If anyone would like to join the Champions on this day please contact Trish on 704 6534.

NPT Priorities:

• ASB at Campden Green, Hobs Moat shops (including allegations of drugs) and Barn Lane.
• ASB and noise nuisance at Ulverley School playing field.
• Off road bikes at Elmdon Park.
• Damage and arson at Elmdon Nature Reserve.

Forthcoming Community Surgeries:

Ø      19^th August       Hobs Moat library        4pm - 6pm       PC Brian Bunn

Ø      08^th September Valley Church Centre 6pm - 8pm         PCSO Jayne Turner/Mel Smith

Ø      16^th September Hobs Moat Library      4pm - 6pm       Jayne and Mel

Ø      7^th October      Valley Church centre  6pm to 8pm        Jayne and Mel

Road Surgeries in Community Police Station

Ø      9^th September               Tanhouse Farm Road               7pm-9pm

Ø      28^th September Hatchfordbrook Road              7pm-9pm

Ø      5^th October                  Castle Lane                              7pm-9pm

Ø      25^th October                Marcot Road                            7pm-9pm

Olton and Silhill

Liz Quiney, Neighbourhood Co-ordinator

Sgt Susan Hewitt (Silhill)

Sgt Greg Richards (Olton)

• The NMT have completed the first phase of improvements in Langley Park.  The graffiti has been painted out, gates painted, bollards for a goal area installed and tree works have been undertaken.  All this has been achieved at very little cost (other than the specialised tree work).  Although the residents were initially skeptical at our ‘economical approach’ we received the following compliment from a resident who has suffered from ASB at this location over a number of years “Just to say another thank you to you (Liz) and Darren, the willow branch cutting has made a huge difference. People are not walking right up against our fence any more and we have so much light and sunshine in the garden and house. It’s wonderful. All footballers are paying away from the fences and the new 'posts' are being used. Success!”
• A meeting was held between the ward members, NPT, NMT and Network Management Team regarding the parking difficulties in the area of Langley School, Monastery Drive and Stoneleigh Rd.  We are working on a resolution which will hopefully suit everyone.
• A site meeting was held between the ward members, NMT, park rangers and Trish Willetts about improvements to the area at the top of Monastery Drive.  We were pitching a volunteer project to a local company to trim vegetation, paint out graffiti and lay a new path.  Unfortunately the Company decided to commit to a project in another part of the country so we intend to concentrate on it next Spring with other volunteers and partner organisations.
• The NMT and young people fro the YOS are due to commence a project, in the Autumn. at the ‘Clock’ on Warwick Road/Old Warwick Road junction.  It will involve digging out the area, planting attractive evergreen shrubs, cutting back the overgrown area, litter picking and painting the street furniture.
• The NMT arranged for the footway on Reservoir Road to been resurfaced and this work is now complete.
• The tree work and line markings on Warwick Road/Lode Lane traffic island are finished and have made a real improvement to this busy area.
• The NMT and ward members held a site meeting at Brueton Gardens and, as a consequence, this is being included as a potential project for next year.
• Since the NMT cleansed the walkway on Cornyx Lane to Redlands Rd, the area has stayed in good order until recently.  There has been a report of some graffiti and Liz is arranging for this to be removed as soon as possible.
• The NMT has arranged for work to be done to the footway and carriageway on Union Road which has improved this location.
• The NMT have worked with Network Management to install double yellow lines around the junction at Damson Lane Shops. This is a real step forward in reducing the parking problems in this area.
• Gary Farmer worked with a group of conservation volunteers on a project in Palmers Roush at the end of July.  They removed some of the debris from the pond and cut back along the paths.

• The NMT have selected a winning design as part of the ‘BAG IT’ Competition.  A pupil at Our Lady of Compassion School was the overall winner and received her iPod Touch from the Managing Director of John Lewis and Chief Inspector Doyle. Cineworld tickets were awarded to each of the separate winners at the participating schools and presented at various assemblies.   The bags will be given to the 1675 pupils entering secondary school in September.  The bags will contain literature that reflects the overall theme of respect and will therefore include information on: ASB, bullying/cyberbullying, personal safety, Solihull Active, road safety and domestic abuse.  Importantly, in the bag will be a questionnaire aimed at youngsters to obtain their views on life in Solihull. Those who return questionnaires will have the chance to win an iPod Touch.  
• PC Sharon Williams facilitated a meeting with residents from Ashleigh Road to look at implementing ‘Speed Watch’ at the location.  Support was given to the suggestion to establish the scheme and the Police are currently sourcing the necessary equipment.  A further traffic survey has been arranged and pro laser operations planned.  Since the installation of the road hump at the junction with The Crescent in March 2008, there have been no reported accidents; with only one reported accident at Ashleigh Road junction with Streetsbrook Road this year. 
• The NPT have continued to target the Redhouse Pub.  During one Friday evening, customers were found to be in the beer garden after hours and this issue has been referred to Licensing.  There was no evidence of excessive noise from the disco.
• At the ‘Conversation with a Purpose’ session at the Hermitage, a resident reported having had stones repeatedly thrown at the windows by youths.  The NPT, NMT and SCH assessed the problem and have drawn up plans to build a higher fence at the exterior of her property.
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• The NPT and ASB Team have been monitoring  Heath Gardens. 
• The NPT were involved in the arrest of three juveniles suspected of burglary in the Silhill area.  Other arrests this month included: a road rage incident on the Warwick Road, five arrests in connection with an investigation of a cannabis farm, one arrest for harassment and one for theft of a mobile phone.

Priorities:

Wharf Lane, where the ASB issues are ongoing.  Residents have been contacted to progress either a Neighbourhood Watch or Residents Association.

Forthcoming NMT/NPT community surgeries:

Silhill

Ø      21^st August, 11.00-1.00, Lugtrout Lane @ Damson Lane.

Ø      3^rd September, 6.00-8.00, Hermitage Road (outside Tesco)

Olton surgeries will be held at Olton library from 4.00-7.00 on the following dates:

Ø      13 September

Ø      20 December

 St Alphege

Albert Billingsley, Neighbourhood Co-ordinator

Dave Stolz, Assistant Neighbourhood Co-ordinator

Sgt Kirk Whitehouse (town centre)

Sgt Will Henley (St Alphege excluding the town centre)

• The ‘Best Bar None’ awards have taken place and were a success, with the White Swan being the overall winner.
• Beat Surgeries have taken place on the No. 6 Bus, Poplar Way and Tudor Grange.
• The St. Alphege Team are now on Twitter @stalfspolice
• The NPT held a meeting with residents at Hillfields Park and the NMT have been working on addressing the issues raised.
• Now the BID is up and running, a number of meetings have taken place including one about the role of hosts in the town centre.  Further information will be provided once the Board has agreed a timescale for appointment of these posts.
• The NPT had plans in place for the schools breaking up and subsequent proms but there were no resulting issues.
• Following a number of vehicles being broken into on the Hillfields Estate, the NPT did a plain clothes operation during several nights and the thefts have now stopped
• A Solihull Constituency Neighbourhood Beat Surgery was held within Touchwood Centre.
• The NPT raised awareness of cash point thefts following a spate of offences in the town centre.  All the banks have been given posters to display
• The theft of £70,000 worth of gas concluded with the offender pleading guilty at Crown Court
• There have been many good arrests through partnership working with the Camera Room and Touchwood staff
• Planning for exam results underway with the A-Level students expected to be drinking within the town
• The NPT recovered a van which was used in burglaries across the area.

Forthcoming NMT/NPT community surgeries:

Ø      Beat surgeries continuing in the library, sixth form and are now being introduced at Tudor Grange Leisure Centre.  To find up-to-date crime information for your area please visit www.myneighbourhood.info

Shirley East, West and South

Anthony Armstrong, Neighbourhood Co-ordinator for Shirley East and /West

Albert Billingsley, Neighbourhood Co-ordinator for Shirley South

Dave Stolz, Neighbourhood Co-ordinator

Sgt Rick Pooltan (Shirley South)

Sgt Paul Fitzgerald (Shirley East and West)

Shirley East and West

Shirley South

• During the Summer a Sports Camp was held at Swallows Meadow.  The camp attracted 117 attendances over the 5 days from 43 different young people aged 8 – 14 years, which is a fantastic achievement bearing in mind 2 of the 5 afternoons were raining!  The young people were very positive about activity being provided in “their area” and asked if we could look at providing some after-school / evening activity for them. Justyn Price is now looking at utilising this location whilst the light evenings are available and then booking activities in at other venues.  He is also going to involve the young people in the consultation and planning of any provision to ensure the offer is right and they feel ownership for it.
• This month, Shirley South NPT has been supporting Monkspath and Blythe Neighbourhood teams in tackling encampments of travellers. An encampment in Knowle on parkland was moved on within 24 hours following a joint approach by Police and the Council.  Local residents were reassured by officers and were extremely happy with the partnership response. 
• Shirley South are continuing to stop scrap metal vans in the area; submitting intelligence into the Police Systems whilst disrupting criminal use of the roads. A scrap metal merchant has been arrested for theft of metal from a local school and for possession on an offensive weapon. This is still an ongoing investigation.
• The school holidays and hot weather have seen an increase in reports of ASB and drinking on the green around the Swallows Meadow area. Reassurance patrols and stop checks are ongoing in the area. PCSO Attwood is collating information and intelligence from residents with a view to obtaining an Alcohol Restriction Zone.

Police priorities: 

• Baxters Green – patrols have increased and the location was targeted as of Street a Week. 

• Boy racers along the Stratford Road from Tesco supermarket in Monkspath to Haslucks Green Road.  Tesco have identified the funding to design out this problem as part of a long term solution. 
• Nethercote Gardens has been a problem location and was identified as part of the ‘Street a Week/Conversation with a Purpose’.  There has been multi-agency work in the past few months and this had certainly had an impact on the residents who had very few complaints.  The area will nevertheless remain as a priority and will be monitored over the next few months.

  Forthcoming NMT/NPT community surgeries:

Ø      There will be a static beat surgery once a month at Shirley Library. This is open to residents of all 3 beats 60, 61 & 62 as it is located centrally.  Further details from the NPTs.

General

Neighbourhood Management Team

Over the past month, the NMT have dealt with 35 requests from Councillors to deal with a range of issues including: cutting back vegetation, arranging for the installation of litter bins, cleansing alleyways, dog fouling, parking, speeding, graffiti and ASB.  In addition, they have carried out approximately 170 highway inspections and 40 NRSWA inspections.  These inspections include dealing with pot holes, raised flag stones, damaged kerbs, tree root damage to footways and drainage issues. 

Environment Champions

      Environmental Champion projects in the diary – 2.8.10

2^nd September – National Grid replanting Laburnum Avenue shrub beds

      7th September - 10.30am to 12.30pm - Community Clear Up of Malvern and Brueton Park

8^th September – Celebration Evening for Volunteers 4.30pm to 6.30pm

11^th September – Hillfields Park – Bulb planting project under the umbrella of the Solihull Festivals

16^th September – Phase II of Sandhills pond clearing

22^nd September – Painting of Shelly Farm Community Centre, Monkspath Bulb Planting in Lavendar Hall Park

7th October - 10.30am to 12.30pm - Community Clear Up of Elmdon Park

13^th October Removing of Doc plants with Golden Jubilee Gardens

14^th October – 10.30am to 12.30pm – Pride in Olton Community Clean Up

16^th October – 10.30am to 12.30pm – Community Clear Up of Hillfields Park

Step into Solihull Project

The Step into Solihull programme is an exercise programme aimed at people aged over 45

For more information please contact Becky Glover, Step into Solihull Project Manager, on 0121 704 8075 or reglover@solihull.gov.uk

Neighbourhood Sports Programme

Over the summer holidays the following activities will be running around central Solihull wards:

Light Hall Football – Fridays 8:30pm – 10:00pm

Lode Heath Boxing / Boxercise – Saturdays 1:00 – 3:00pm

Safer Travel

A number of bus shelters continue to be damaged along Stratford Road/Sandy Hill Road and Stratford Road/Harwood Grove.  Centro have purchased an Apache camera which works like a domehawk but can be monitored remotely from a laptop.  It is planned that an Apache camera will be installed in Old Lode Lane in the next two-three weeks to deal with ASB.

To report shelter damage please contact 0121 214 7171.

ASB Team

A running reminder that anyone can report antisocial behaviour in confidence by phoning 0121 717 1515 or online at www.solihullcommunityhousing.org.uk.  If anyone has been threatened or assaulted, they should report it to the police immediately.

West Midlands Fire Service

For additional Fire Safety advice contact www.wmfs.net or freephone 0800 389 5525

Caroline Naven, Neighbourhood Manager for area 2

Inspector Phil Radbourne, South Neighbourhood