ACTIONS HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES ASSIST LIFE SECURITY FEAR LOOK ISSUE ACTIVE STREETS NEED ENGAGED LIVING SAFE FEELING NUISANCE

LIVE CIVIC HANDLE NEIGHBOURS RUBBISH REDUCE REDUCES

INVOLVES WITHIN

CRIME ACADEMIC NOISE HOUSING LOOKING STUDENT HANDLING HOUSEHOLD CITIZENSHIP RUNNING

IMPROVE GOOD PART

RESPECTFUL

HOUSING COMMUNITY CONDUCT NOISE PARTNERSHIP TRAFFIC SURROUNDINGS BEST CITY SAFETY PROACTIVE TRANSPORT

STRATEGY DIVERTING PARKING LOCAL CONSIDERATE FOR PEOPLE RESPONSIBILITY KNOW RESIDENTIAL LEARNING

YORK MAJOR PEOPLE DOMESTIC

IMPACT STUDENTS REFUSE VALUED SOCIAL

COMMUNITY RECYCLING PROPERLY SUPPORT MEMBERS COLLEGE UNIVERSITY WASTE PRESSURE INTRODUCTION

York is blessed with high quality education Through delivering these initiatives in specific providers including , The areas, friction between students and longer term , York College, and York St John residents can be reduced and students can University. Each year they bring new students into increase their civic engagement. This, in turn will the city, creating wealth within the local economy encourage graduates to continue to be active and providing graduates who go on to live and citizens, whether they choose to remain in the City work within the city and the wider Yorkshire of York or move elsewhere. region. The achievement of the objectives set out within Students of all ages use their time at college and this strategy will only be possible through the university to develop themselves socially as well active collaboration of both Students’ Unions as professionally – learning to live with others, and the engagement of other partners from engaging in different communities, and becoming across the city. Local charities, ward committees, an active part of the city that they live in. It is right residents associations, the universities, colleges that Students’ Unions, universities and colleges and the City of York Council all have a role to help their students to become active citizens and play in making sure that these aims are achieved. good neighbours. Initiated by Leigh Hankinson, Together, we can build a better city and a better YSJSU President 2010-12 and Tim Ellis YUSU sense of community between students and longer President 2011-12, this strategy outlines six key term residents. themes that must be address with students in York to ensure that they continue to have a positive impact on life within the city. 2 STUDENT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY VISION:

That students living in York are active and valued members of the local community, considerate of their conduct in residential areas, respectful of their neighbours, and positively engaged in civic life.

There are six key theme areas that we feel need to be addressed to achieve our vision.

APPEARANCE & HOUSING: PARKING & TRANSPORT:

How houses look has a major effect on Traffic is a large issue for the City of York. We the feeling within a community. We believe believe that some students do not need to that students should live in good quality bring cars to University with them and therefore housing where both the building itself and the reduce the pressure on streets all over the city. surroundings it sits within are well maintained. REFUSE: CITIZENSHIP: Handling rubbish and recycling properly is part University involves both social and academic of running a good household. We believe that learning. We believe that students should students need support to know how to best take proactive roles within their communities, handle domestic waste so that they do not acting as good neighbours and looking for impact on their neighbours and so that they opportunities to improve the community that can assist in diverting waste from landfill. they live within. SECURITY & SAFETY: NOISE: Crime and the fear of crime is an issue for Nuisance noise reduces people’s quality of life. many people within the city. We believe that We believe that students have a responsibility students deserve to live in safe housing in safe to ensure that their actions don’t negatively communities. impact on the lives of their neighbours. 3 APPEARANCE & HOUSING: WHAT WE AIM TO DO…

Create a community gardening Identify substandard housing in Reduce prevalence of team. terms of appearance and upkeep. substandard housing. HOW WILL WE DO THIS?

Recruit volunteers. Develop mechanism for raising Liaise with City of York Council to concerns about badly maintained understand powers they have and Create links with community properties. promote these. groups and charities. Support Love Where you Live Create ‘Good Landlord Awards’ Identify gardening opportunities campaigns. a celebration event to promote and sites which include student responsible landlords. properties. Work with Landlord Associations. Raise awareness of Code of Community Co-ordinators to visit Practice obligations regarding badly maintained properties to external repairs and gardens. discuss with residents and identify landlords. Educate residents about ‘To Let’ signs and encourage council to exercise powers. Introduce a campaign regarding privacy and use of curtains. Conduct survey to allow students to rate landlords and accommodation. CITIZENSHIP: WHAT WE AIM TO DO…

Discover the public’s perception Encourage opportunities for Introduce initiatives to improve of students within the York students to engage in community residents’ perceptions of students. community. life in York. HOW WILL WE DO THIS?

Commission research to discover Introduce Community Co- City-wide campaign to encourage the public perception students. ordinators to every ward with a rethink of the term ‘student’. students living in it. Present results to ward committee Promote success stories meetings and open public forums Promote student engagement from community projects and to disseminate results. in local politics, local residents’ volunteering. groups and ward committee Run inclusive events for students meetings. and residents. Promote community events to Identify volunteering opportunities students. to improve issues in wards/ areas. Run ‘Celebrate York’ annually - a Create stronger links with community fun day in Hull Road churches and faith groups. Park. Produce moving in packs for off 4 campus students. NOISE: WHAT WE AIM TO DO…

Actively engage with the police, Deliver community projects that Run specific awareness and environmental Protection Unit, help reduce noise and disturbance behaviour change campaigns Residents’ Groups and City complaints. aimed at reducing noise nuisance. Council to address problem areas. HOW WILL WE DO THIS?

Target noise reduction campaigns Provide guidance to residents City-wide SHHH! campaign to at street level. Identify noise regarding what to do about noise, target city centre venues and taxis, nuisance houses and introduce particularly around key pressure university campuses and high the residents to local police and times eg: welcome weeks. footfall routes through housing environmental protection staff. areas. Evaluate council policy around Build on current Night Marshalls neighbourhood noise. project. Create guidance for students on partying. Develop internal codes of conduct regarding penalties for unacceptable noise levels. Run community outreach sessions through university mediation services. PARKING & TRANSPORT: WHAT WE AIM TO DO…

Encourage students not to bring Investigate alternative transport for Work with landlords, university their cars into York. students. management and City Councillors to address specific parking problems. HOW WILL WE DO THIS?

Produce a range of pre-arrival Cross city campaign explaining Limit parking spaces available in media showing how difficult driving why you don’t need a car in York. housing contracts. and parking is in York. Develop localised bike hire Work with residents’ associations Encourage landlords to include scheme. and ward committees to highlight parking limitations in contracts. specific problem parking areas so Research student usage of public that solutions can be targeted. Engage with the local bus transport, including Park and Ride, companies. to find out how best to support take up.

5 REFUSE: WHAT WE AIM TO DO…

Deliver community projects Provide clear guidance and Work with the City Council to that encourage students (and support for students to better address specific problems with residents) to be more waste handle their household waste. waste and recycling. efficient. HOW WILL WE DO THIS?

Roll out Big Green Clean and Develop Postcode checker on Create a sticker telling residents Freecycling projects city-wide. council website to check waste about refuse removal and collection dates. collection. Student run recycling schemes that collect reusable items and Produce a range of media Explore with Council what can be then share them out with the local showing problems caused by done with surplus waste at peak community. unmanaged waste. times. Encourage students in shared Work with Council to provide housing to eat together and houses of multiple occupancy with provide tips on how to use bigger bins. leftovers.

Provide information on what can be recycled and what needs to be disposed of as waste. SAFETY & SECURITY: WHAT WE AIM TO DO…

Deliver crime prevention Ensure that students are fully Lobby landlords and city campaigns that lead to an active insured and aware of the benefits councillors to ensure security reduction in student related crime of this. items are a standard part of across the City. student accommodation. HOW WILL WE DO THIS?

Deliver a ‘Lockdown’ style Pilot ‘Safe spot’ accreditation Produce code of practice list campaign. scheme with local businesses. of security items all rented accommodation should have. An NUS campaign aimed Ensure police are aware of level of at enabling peer to peer crime against students by making Make compliance with this list part consciousness raising of safety crime reporting part of security’s of city-wide accreditation scheme. and security issues. processes. Support students and landlords to Target high crime areas with Run campaign raising awareness make properties more secure. campaign information to reduce of importance of insurance. instances of crime. Advocate good habits through Working with offenders’ groups, freshers’ fair, websites and other investigate early intervention media. volunteering projects. 6 THIS STRATEGY HAS BEEN LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER 2012 AND WILL BE REVIEWED TERMLY. THANKS TO ALL INVOLVED...

7 Thanks for reading. Stay in touch.

Higher York Askham Bryan College T: 01904 876350 Students’ Union E: [email protected] T: 01904 772277 A: Higher York W: www.askham-bryan.ac.uk/student- c/o , life/student-union Lord Mayors Walk, York, YO31 7EX York College Students’ Union T: 01904 770473 York University Students’ Union E: [email protected] T: 01904 323 724 W: ycsu.org.uk F: facebook.com/yorkunisu F: facebook.com/YorkCollegeSU T: @yorkunisu T: @YorkCollegeSU

York St John Students’ Union T: 01904 629 816 E: [email protected] F: facebook.com/ysjsu T: @ysjsu