LEVENMOUTH HOUSING SERVICES PLAN 2017/19 Welcome Welcome to the Levenmouth Housing Neighbourhood Plan. We have produced a Housing Neighbourhood Plan with our customers for each of the 7 Areas in Fife, and this is yours, covering Leven, Kennoway, Windygates, Lower/Upper Largo, Lundin Links, Methil, Methilhill, Buckhaven, East/Coaltown and West Wemyss. You told us about your concerns and issues where you live, and together we walked around areas to identify what needs done. We looked at how well we are doing managing your homes to prioritise which services we need to improve. Throughout 2016/17 we talked to the tenants and residents of Levenmouth. We included your ideas in our finished plan where we could. The Housing Neighbourhood Plan was approved by Levenmouth Area Committee on 15th November 2017. We will give 6 monthly updates on progress with the plan to the Committee, and in between times we will update www. fifedirect/LevenmouthHousing with events, progress and completed actions. About Levenmouth Area Stock by bedroom size Stock by house type Bedsit 2 Sheltered 95 1 bed 833 Bungalows 376 4290 2 bed 2204 Flats 2232 TOTAL 3 bed 1084 High rise flats 155 HOMES 4/5/6 bed 167 Houses 1432 150 30 115 LETS MUTUAL TRANSFERS IN 2016/17 EXCHANGES IN 2016/17 IN 2016/17 1168 37 14 PEOPLE ABANDONED TENANCY LOOKING TENANCIES EVICTIONS FOR HOMES Tenants 83% 89% are are more of tenants satisfied with satisfied with across Fife quality of their neighbourhood are satisfied home management that their rent than in 2016 provides good value 3 Rate your estates: What we found We compared our housing in Levenmouth with the rest of Fife, and with other landlords in Scotland. This showed what our neighbourhood priorities should be. The Housing stock in Levenmouth is in good condition and in high demand and there was an extensive new build programme of 195 Council properties during 2016 and 2017. Levenmouth however has the highest concentration of deprivation in Fife with few datazones unaffected and six in the top ten most deprived in Fife In 2016/17 our performance on void management greatly improved and on average we turned over properties within 26 days In common with other Areas of Fife Rent Arrears increased during 2016/17 against a backdrop of welfare reform changes. This will require a greater focus in 2017/18 as we need to collect rent to pay for the housing services we deliver We allocated 450 properties in 2016/17. 124 properties were allocated to homeless applicants. There are fewer homeless applicants in Levenmouth than other areas in Fife. Levenmouth needs more smaller and larger family sized properties to let 98% of all repairs were completed on time in Levenmouth during 2016/17 Almost 16,000 repairs were carried out overall. Forty-Eight Stage 1 and 2 corporate complaints were dealt with in Levenmouth during 2016/17. 50% of the complaints received concerned repair and maintenance issues 4 Rate your estates: What we found We found Where What we will do When we do it High Turnover Community Letting of properties Buckhaven Throughout Area initiatives and tenancy including and Simon housing plan period sustainment abandonments Crescent Increase tenancy assistance Higher levels of Methil and Throughout and household contacts for rent arrears Buckhaven tenants in arrears 2017/18 Buckhaven South, Neighbourhood Improvement Focus on estate Lower Methil Plans consulted on and Throughout 2017 improvements and Leven produced for both estates -19 Parkhill estates Bishop’s Improve structural stability Court. Focus on at front and rear of Bishop’s By December 2017 Kennoway housing and Court. structural Swan & Improve Fire safety at the improvements Memorial By December 2017 multi storey flats Court flats Greater levels of mental health Throughout Increased tenancy assistance Throughout 2017 - and addictions Levenmouth 2019 having an impact Health & Social Care Projects on tenancies Focus of any new build Advocate that new build schemes to help schemes provides properties more specific for 1-2 bed and 4+ bed needs e.g. OAPs, Methil 2018 – 2020 properties in Levenmouth single people, because of need and ageing large families, population applicants with disabilities Improve customer Throughout Focus on responsiveness and Throughout Area satisfaction Levenmouth feedback to customers housing plan period levels Work in partnership with Low levels Throughout Tenant Participation Officers Throughout Area of tenant Levenmouth to improve participation and housing plan period participation nos of Tenants groups 5 Rate your estates: What you told us We have carried out estate walkabouts, spoken with local Councillors and tenant groups where this has been possible and listened to customer comments and complaints. YOU TOLD US YOU LIKE • The new build properties in Levenmouth • Quality of neighbourhoods and environment is generally quite good • Standard of relets is generally good BUT YOU ALSO TOLD US YOU WOULD LIKE US TO DO BETTER • Improving car parking problems in estates • Addressing and resolving anti- social behaviour including neighbour disputes, substance abuse, control of cats and dogs • Addressing environmental issues such lack of fencing, poor garden maintenance and illegal dumping of refuse in estates 6 You said . Neighbourhood We will Update you by We don’t want new build flats, we want Negotiate with the new Schemes where new Report to your low rise houses Build teams when new build programmes Area Committee by schemes are being instead which are are being developed March 2018 needed for older and planned in phase 2 disabled people Build 22 new homes to encourage moves There are not enough Let you know how many moves we houses for large Whole area Visit everyone in a 5 or achieved Sept families 6 apt to see if they are 2017 interested in help to move Community Investigate opportunities We don’t want liaison when we Methil and East to reduce garden sizes are addressing houses with big Wemyss and maintenance particular issues gardens responsibilities and projects Reporting spend Replace Fencing where We want our fencing Most estates in on projects through there are community Levenmouth Area Committee to be replaced safety issues reports We want our Community 4 in a blocks Install positive input liaison when we properties to be free and maisonettes ventilation systems & are addressing from dampness and generally heat recovery units. particular issues condensation and projects Community Swan & Memorial Develop regeneration liaison when we We want our flats to Court, Bishop’s and community safety are addressing Court, Parkhill and be safe projects particular issues Buckhaven and projects We want more parking areas as Community Identify opportunities there are too many liaison when we Throughout for projects on Housing are addressing problems caused by Levenmouth land for small scale car particular issues bad / inconsiderate / parking projects dangerous parking in and projects our estates Consider a range of options for underused We want our lock-up sites, sites needing Reviewing a range Throughout improvement, of factors affecting and garage sites to Levenmouth be improved rationalisation and individual sites in extreme cases demolition 7 Get more involved in where you live Last year, tenants joined in the work to improve where they live by • Coming along to the tenant gathering to talk about rents • Filling in surveys to tell us about our services • Taking part in walkabouts to help rate the estate. Walkabouts are carried out with local staff, specialist officer and Elected Member participation You can get involved too. Talk to your housing officer to see what is going on in your area, and sign-up to the tenant register for the chance to be involved Complaints We like to know what our customers think about the services they receive. By letting us know what your experience of our services is, you can help us improve. Here’s how to contact us to make a comment or complaint: Online: www.fifedirect.org.uk/commentsandcomplaints Phone: 03451 55 00 00 BT Text Direct for Deaf people: 18001 01592 55 11 91 In Person: Visit any Council office and speak to a member of staff By Post to: Freepost RTBZ-BBJT-BBYC, Comments & Complaints, Fife Council, Fife House, North Street, GLENROTHES 8 Your Community The Levenmouth Area Housing Plan contributes to the overall Plan for Fife, which sets out how the Council will work with its partners and local communities to make Fife a fairer and better place to live over the next ten years. The Plan sets out a range of work across for themes: Opportunities for All, Thriving Place, Jobs and Inclusive Growth and Community led Services. Your community plan is available online at: www.fifedirect.org.uk/letstalk/levenmouth/ If you want to know more it, the Community Manager for Levenmouth is David Paterson. 9 Your Area Housing Team Supporting the plan and delivering services to tenants is your local Housing Team, led by Housing Manager Alistair Black and Lead Officers Lydia Simpson, Elaine Campbell and Anne McKenna We have 5 Housing Access Officers to manage the empty houses and allocate new tenants to them. They have a wide range of knowledge about housing options and can meet with tenants and applicants to explain these. There are 18 Housing Management Officers who are the main point of contact for tenants, and their job is to link you in to all the services you need whether repairs, money advice, coping with heating bills, problem neighbours, getting in touch with local job clubs. The list is a long as you need! In Levenmouth we also have Caretakers, Retirement Housing Officers, Homeless Officers and Revenues Officers we can call on to provide extra help. Come and speak to us at: Methil Library & Local Office, Wellesley Road, Methil, KY8 3PA Leven Library & Local Office, 16 Durie Street, Leven, KY8 4HE For telephone numbers see the following page.