Semi Rural Case Study

Tatenhill Crossroads

The Semi-Rural Neighbourhood Co-ordinator has been working closely with the Tatenhill Community Group to support them in the production of their Parish Plan. This has involved extensive consultation with the local community, to which an impressive 67% of village residents participated.

At the crossroads a piece of land was in a poor state and subject to several vehicles using it for off road parking. The Neighbourhood Co-ordinator organised for all the relevant stakeholders to come together and formulate a plan of action to develop the land in to a formal village green area, or indeed, if the community wish, a formal parking area. This project is now complete and provides the perfect example of how the Neighbourhoods Team and local community groups can work together.

Before	During	After

Oak Road, Barton under Needwood

The retail area at Oak Road in Barton under Needwood has historically been reported as a hotspot area for underage drinking and anti-social behaviour. As a result of this, many local residents began to feel intimidated when visiting the local amenities.

The Neighbourhood Policing Team based in Barton under Needwood responded to the concerns of residents through stepping up their patrols of the area, and PCSO Steve Smith has done some great work engaging with the young people. The area is now subject to an Alcohol Designation Order and this has gone some way to combating the underage drinking. Some anti-social behaviour remained prevalent in the area and it became apparent that the level of lighting in the car park adds to the sense of unease among residents. When this unease is added to the wider perceptions of young people who congregate in the area, the reluctance to use the shops became a harsh reality.

Through the collaboration of Staffordshire Police, ESBC’s Community Safety Officer, ESBC’s Engineering Team and the Neighbourhood Working Team, and with thanks to the WASP initiative, funding for two extra lighting columns to be installed has now been agreed.

In the interests of public safety, and improving the visual impact for the local community, monies spent to light up the area will have a positive impact on levels of anti-social behaviour and on use of the local services. Work is due to begin shortly on the installation of the lighting columns. The Neighbourhood Working Team will continue to monitor the levels of anti-social behaviour and evaluate the effectiveness of this project.

Brook Hollows, Rolleston on Dove.

Brook Hollows is a beautiful area of natural woodland in Rolleston on Dove. The area has historically been maintained to a high standard by Rolleston Civic Trust on behalf of East Staffordshire Borough Council. Following the Civic Trust relinquishing the maintenance of the woodland, the area had become significantly overgrown and unruly.

Through Neighbourhood Working, a site visit was arranged with representatives from ESBC’s Ground Maintenance Team and Rolleston on Dove Parish Council to discuss the future maintenance of Brook Hollows. Following this meeting, the Neighbourhood Working Team produced a maintenance programme that was agreed by all involved.

East Staffordshire Borough Council’s Ground’s Maintenance Team has carried out some fantastic work in the woodland including cutting back the growth and opening up the pathways. Compliments have been received on the significant level of improvements carried out and to date, 65% of the agreed actions on the maintenance programme have been completed.

The Neighbourhood Working Team are looking to continue improvements in the woodland through pulling together a ‘Community Paint’ with Juniper Training, an organisation that delivers personalised training and is committed to improving employability and the vocational skills of its customers. The team of volunteers will paint up the bridge railings and fencing around the woodland to give the area a visual lift. Details of this work will be added to the website pages upon completion.