Estate Matters
We take pride in maintaining the appearance of our estates. However, we need your help to let us know when problems exist. Given below are details of the service you can expect from us and who to contact to report a problem. As a Council tenant you and members of your household, are responsible for using and keeping communal areas in a reasonable manner.
Anti-Social Behaviour/Neighbour Nuisance
We take seriously all reports of anti-social behaviour received from our tenants.
Read our Anti-social Behaviour and Hate Crime Policy (PDF , 329KB)
Neighbour nuisance or anti-social behaviour is anything that interferes with the peaceful enjoyment of the home and surrounding area.
Examples of anti-social behaviour include:
- noise nuisance (e.g. loud parties/music, shouting, noise from televisions)
- violence against people and property
- verbal abuse, for example making racist remarks towards another person
- harassment of another person/s - this may involve threatening behaviour
- causing damage to any Council property or the property or possessions of another person
- the storing and dealing of drugs from a Council dwelling
- any nuisance caused by pets
- parking of vehicles on unauthorised grounds
For more information, including what to do if you are having problems with a neighbour and how we tackle anti-social behaviour, please read our guidance on tackling anti-social behaviour leaflet.
Hate Crime
We provide support and assistance to tenants who are victims of a crime such as homophobic crime, racist crime, or general crime committed in their home or whilst in the vicinity of their home. If we are unable to resolve the problem we may offer the tenant the chance of being rehoused in a different area.
Report a hate crime or an incident to us
Read our Anti-social Behaviour and Hate Crime Policy (PDF , 329KB)
Ball Games
Every summer, and particularly during the school holidays, we see a rise in complaints about children/young people playing ball games in public places.
Normally, football and other ball games are not classed as anti-social behaviour. However, we do recognise that although they are fun for the people playing them, they can be a disturbance for others.
For more information on this and tips for both those playing ball games and those residents who are being disturbed, please read Football and Ball Games Complaints.
Community Trigger
The Community Trigger is a process you can use to ask agencies to review their response to anti-social behaviour or hate incidents you have reported.
Garden Maintenance
We are negotiating a new agreement for the grass cutting service for tenants. We ask that tenants seek assistance from family or friends until a new contractor can be on site. If this is not possible, and you are worried about your health and safety, please contact us.
You are responsible for keeping your garden in a clean and tidy condition. However, a free grass cutting and hedge/tree trimming service is available to tenants who meet certain criteria, or are registered disabled and unable to carry out this work themselves and have no-one else to help them. Grass is cut once a month during April to September (grass trimmings are not picked up). This service doesn't include weeding. Contractors use a garden blower to blow cuttings away from paths. Hedges and trees are trimmed once each year in October. By ‘hedges’ we mean hedges along the boundary of your property, not rose bushes in your garden.
Apply for assistance with garden maintenance
If you want to apply for assistance with grass cutting and/or hedge trimming, please complete an Application for Assistance with Garden Maintenance form and return it to the Housing Department.
Alternatively, call into the Housing Office for a form.
When you apply you will need provide proof that you receive a Higher Rate Disability Living Allowance.
Email: housing@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Telephone: 01229 876578
Address:
Housing Department
Town Hall
Duke Street
Barrow-in-Furness
Cumbria
LA14 2LD
Garden Waste Collection
Subscribe to a garden waste collection
Communal areas
Communal areas on estates are provided for the benefit of everyone. Please take care of them and report any damage to us.
Telephone: 01229 876578
We maintain communal areas by:
- cutting grass once from 1 March to 31 October (weather permitting)
- maintaining shrub beds 10 times a year
- cutting hedges once a year
You can help look after communal areas by:
- removing litter from areas near your home
- not allowing your pet to foul the areas
- not allowing your children to play on areas where they may cause damage or nuisance to other tenants
To make a complaint, contact the Parks Department.
Parks Department
Telephone: 01229 876330
CCTV
CCTV can be used, provided that it does not infringe on the privacy of neighbouring properties or public areas.
Removal of large household items
You can apply to have large household items collected as bulky household waste.
Arrange a bulky waste collection in Barrow
Bins/Recycling
You can:
- check your bin collection day
- report a missed bin collection
- order a new bin or box
- request an assisted bin collection
Find out about Bin collections in your area
Removal of dumped rubbish (fly-tipping)/bonfire waste
The Council's Cleansing Department can organise rubbish which has been fly-tipped or removal of bonfire waste. Any person found dumping rubbish may face legal prosecution. Please note - bonfires are not allowed on Council land without prior consent from the Council.
Telephone: 01229 876543
You can also report fly-tipping to Customer Services in Barrow Town Hall.
Equipped play areas
Play areas for children are provided on several estates. These areas are inspected on a weekly basis to ensure they conform to safety standards.
The following play areas can be found on our estates:
| Playground Location | Estate |
|---|---|
|
Vulcan Road |
Vulcan |
| Roosegate Community Centre | Roosegate |
| Abbotsvale | Abbotsvale |
| Lodge Green | Ormsgill |
| Ormsgill Community Centre | Ormsgill |
| Buttermere Drive | Dalton |
| Ruskin Avenue | Dalton |
| Saves Lane | Askam |
|
Storey Square |
Dalton |
Unauthorised parking of vehicles
Abandoned vehicles
If a vehicle has clearly been abandoned, please report this to the Town Hall.
Telephone: 01229 876543
Vehicles causing an obstruction
If a vehicle is causing an obstruction on a public road, you should contact the police on 101.
If a vehicle is causing an obstruction on communal housing land and has clearly not been abandoned, please contact us.
Telephone: 01229 876578
Please give consideration for your neighbours, their safety, and the appearance of the estate as a whole when parking your vehicle. You must only park in the places authorised and not on grass verges and greens.
Dog Fouling
Dog fouling in public places has always been socially unacceptable and is now a fineable offence.
Vandalism
Please report any instances of vandalism or graffiti to Council property to us.
Email: housing@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Telephone: 01229 876578
If you see it outside of our office hours, please contact the Police.
Environment Enhancement Budget - tenant-led budget
This is a tenant-led budget, giving the tenants choice on how to improve the appearance of their estate/area. This may include security initiatives, such as fencing and extra lighting. The money is separate from the normal repairs budget and can be used to carry out 'one-off' type initiatives that have the support of the Tenants' Forum.
The budget is split between housing areas - based on the number of properties in the area.
Proposed schemes will generally only be approved by the Tenants' Forum where they will be of benefit to a community as a whole rather than for the benefit of an individual tenant.
To work through the process a resident on the estate should approach the tenancy services officer who deals with their area. They, in turn, liaise with the property surveyor and the Community Involvement Manager. A request form is then completed giving full details of the proposed scheme. This is then costed by the relevant contractors.
If a tenancy services officer identifies an area of particular need they, of course, can bring this to the Forum. (Some of our housing management areas have no constituted group).
When the scheme is clearly defined and costed, a consultation of nearby residents is carried out. The consultation can be done by the tenancy services officer and the residents' group. When the views of the people directly affected have been documented showing that they are clearly in favour, the initiative is then taken formally to the Tenants' Forum. The Tenants' Forum allows two members from each constituted residents' and tenants' group to vote on whether to approve the scheme or not. If the scheme is approved by the Tenants' Forum the works will be ordered.
Mobile Caretaker Unit
The main duties of the Mobile Caretaker Unit (MCU) are the clearance of properties when a tenant vacates, assisting in the general upkeep and safety of our estates, the removal of graffiti, hypodermic needles or any other item which would place residents in danger.