Trees Estate Residents Association

The Trees Estate Residents Association in Bersted has been around for more than a decade.  It was originally set up to deal with crime and anti-social behaviour problems on the estate and reduce the fear of crime for local people.This month we hear from Gez Watson, Chair of the Trees Residents Association, about how the work of the group has made the area a better place to live.

The Trees Estate Residents Association officially started in June 1999, with an excellent turn-out for the inaugural meeting because of the all the problems on the estate at that time.  One of the first things we did was to work with Arun District Council and Sussex Police to get rid of abandoned vehicles and start to tidy the area with a huge litter picking session.

Within a year the estate already looked better and residents commented that what we were doing was making a difference.

By this time we had formed strong links with Arun District Council, West Sussex County Council and Sussex Police, so the arrangement was formalised by forming a Management Committee to monitor input from each organisation.  This made it easier to track the progress of agreed actions to ensure things were completed as planned.

A huge turning point was the formation of our unique ‘umbrella’ Neighbourhood Watch scheme, set up as a direct response to residents’ comments on a survey to find out their priorities.  All residents aged over 18 years are automatically members unless they opt out; each street on the estate has a street monitor who is also on the Residents' Association Committee providing a regular two-way exchange of information.  There have only been a handful of residents who do not want to be a part of the scheme, meaning a lot of residents watching out for each other.

A problem that caused a lot of noise and distress was older youths ‘joy riding’.  By this time some residents were starting to believe they could make a difference so, in groups, they would jot down details of the vehicles and the youths involved, which they passed to the police and council as evidence.  It was a suggestion from the Residents' Association to Arun District Council that stopped the problem overnight by installing concrete bollards in key areas to prevent anti-social driving – another job done!  Some of the children got together to help us with litter picks because they were fed up with the estate always looking so tatty and wanted to make a difference.  Two of them received awards from the Arun Youth Council for their work.

We’ve continued to work very closely with all agencies, including the Safer Arun Partnership, to improve the estate and make it a better place to live.  A notoriously bad alleyway was gated; street lights remain on all night and two of the maisonette blocks were painted cream to brighten-up the area.  We monitor the grounds maintenance so the estate looks generally better.  We’ve held tree and bulb planting sessions; created a community garden in the grounds of Laburnum Grove School so children and their families can grow their own produce; consulted with children about new play equipment and consulted with all households about having a ‘street gym’ on the estate – which has recently been installed and is being extremely well used.

The Residents' Association Committee also devised a rota to watch over the children in the play areas and have had distinctive polo shirts made so the children could easily identify us.

Currently we have a superb relationship with our Neighbourhood Policing Team who are regularly seen on the estate.  Our relationship with Arun District Council, especially the Housing Department, continues to flourish, with monthly estate inspections with the Neighbourhood Housing Officer where we note problems which are reported, and then they are monitored to check the issues have been addressed.

Eleven years ago the Trees Estate at North Bersted had many problems, but gradually, with a lot of hard work by those who have served on the Residents' Association Committee and with support from Arun District Council, West Sussex County Council and Sussex Police, the Trees Estate is now regarded as a much better place to live.  There is still anti-social behaviour – but those who do it don’t go unnoticed; there are still a few untaxed cars littering the car parks; there are still a few residents who don’t seem to care what their homes look like from the outside – but there are far more who love living here and take pride in their surroundings.

On an estate of mixed tenure like ours there are always going to be problems, but its how you try to deal with them that is so important.  One of the most effective ways has been by teaching the residents that they can individually make a difference too. This has taken a lot of time and effort on the part of the Committee members, but it does pay off in the end.  These days residents are far more likely to phone the police themselves if they witness anti-social behaviour (or any other crime), which is a huge leap forward.  To us though, it shows they now have belief in us and that they also have belief in the partners we have been working with all this time – to make the Trees Estate a safer and happier place to live for young and old alike!

 

 

If you operate a scheme or want to tell us about your area get in touch by emailing community.safety@arun.gov.uk area get in touch by emailing community.safety@arun.gov.uk