Tenant Participation has links with many of Stroud District Council's Key priorities. Empowering tenants and giving them a strong, united voice allows groups and individuals to take ownership of the area in which they live. Working together as a community, you really can make a difference. In a recent benchmarking exercise, Stroud had one of the highest percentages of tenants involved in housing, putting participation at the heart of our service.
The Stroud District Council Housing Partnership (Tenant Participation Compact) is an Agreement between Council tenants, Councillors and Council Officers that was first signed on 17 August 2000. It is based on a shared vision of "Improving the quality of life for all our tenants and leaseholders across the whole District and promoting a sense of Community." The Compact is reviewed, updated and delivered to all Council tenants and leaseholders each year. This year it took the form of a Summary Booklet, which was easier to read and more user friendly. The full Compact is available on request.
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Tenant Participation Compact Summary 2006 - 05/02/2008 : 2479Kb
The tenants' newsletter, Keynotes is sent out to all tenants 3 times a year. Articles within Keynotes give information on new policies and practices, staff changes and news from all our tenants' groups. It is edited by a panel of tenants and is available on CD for all sheltered schemes and tenants who request it.
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Keynotes 2007 - 07/11/2007 : 4139Kb
There are many ways for tenants to voice their opinions and tell us their views. This can be something quick and easy such as filling in a questionnaire or something more involved and in depth such as forming a Tenants' and Residents' Association.
Other opportunities for tenants to have their say in how the housing service is run include responding to surveys and filling in repairs satisfaction cards. Although it would be difficult and costly for us to reply to every survey we receive, you can be sure that all of your comments, complaints and queries are given individual attention.
There are a number of options for tenants who would like a bigger input into their housing service and get more involved. Tenants have the opportunity to -
- Join an already established association or Sheltered Accommodation Panel (if they live in Sheltered Housing)
- Set up their own association or Sheltered Accommodation Panel
- Become a Tenants' Village Voice or Street Rep
- Join a focus group or consultation panel
We currently have almost 42% of tenants represented by an association or elected individual. We provide yearly grants for all these groups to meet their running costs. The percentage figure is steadily increasing as more tenants become eager to get involved and reap the benefits of having a united voice. The percentage target set for March 2007 by the Tenant Participation Compact Panel is 44% and we are well on the way to reaching this target providing tenants remain enthusiastic and all groups and individual representatives receive the support they both need and deserve.
There are active associations in the following areas that local tenants are encouraged to show their support for and get involved with.
Updated - Interactive Tenant Representation Map (recommended for broadband users only) - 25/07/2007
- Lower Kingshill Management Co-Operative (LKMC), Dursley
- Hampton Waves Residents' Association, Minchinhampton
- Woodfield Residents' Association, Cam
- Sunnyhill Residents' Association, Cashes Green
- Top of Town Community Association (TOTCA), Stroud
- Trinity Active Residents' Association (TARA), Highfields Road, Stroud
- Stroud Middle of the Hill Residents' Association (Stroud MoTH), Stroud
- Forest Green Residents' Association, Nailsworth
- Park Estate Community Association, Stonehouse
Three of these associations have developed local partnership working through Estate Agreements and Neighbourhood Agreements or local Compacts. LKMC first entered into an Estate Agreement with the Council in October 1996 to run its own office, order repairs on the Council's behalf and monitor parts of the service such as the communal cleaning and grounds maintenance. Its agreement is updated yearly and is now in its 10th edition.
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Lower Kingshill Estate Agreement - 27/09/2006 : 3099Kb
Hampton Waves' Neighbourhood Agreement is with the residents, Minchinhampton Parish Council, County and District Councillor for Minchinhampton and the officers of Stroud District Council. Their shared vision is "to work together in partnership to involve the whole community in helping improve the environment and the safety and general welfare of those living in the area". The agreement was first published in September 2002 to tackle local issues and regularly reviewed and updated.
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Hampton Waves Neighbourhood Agreement - 27/09/2006 : 1574Kb
Stroud MoTHs' Neighbourhood Agreement includes the residents, officers of Stroud District Council, Stroud Town Council, District and local County Councillors as well as the local Police, Neighbourhood Watch and Adult Education Consortium, Stroud College. Their first agreement was published in August 2003 and is regularly reviewed and updated.
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Stroud MoTH Neighbourhood Agreement - 27/09/2006 : 2002Kb
As well as the above Associations, there are also 3 Tenants' Village Voices and 7 Tenants' Street Reps. These are individuals who represent a small local area. Some represent a small number of tenants in the area where they live, others are happy to represent their whole street depending on the number of tenants. Representatives can choose to work with a friend or neighbour or take on a smaller area. The Tenants' Street Representatives and Tenants' Village Voices meet regularly throughout the year. We are always happy for tenants to come forward so if you would like to find out more about becoming a local representative please contact Tenant Services at Stroud District Council on 01453 754151. We already have representatives in the following areas
- Swedale, Stancombe & Windyridge, Bisley
- Lewiston Road, Thrupp
- Church Close, Cranham
- John Bevan Close, Uplands
- Pitman Place, Wotton- Under- Edge
- Albert Road and Victoria Road, Brimscombe
- Mankley Road, Leonard Stanley
- Chalford Hill, Stroud
- Greenhill Flats, Thrupp
- Queens Court, Brimscombe
A large contributor to the success of tenant participation in Stroud is the United Sheltered Accommodation Panel, USAP.
This has grown steadily over the past 5 years to represent almost 75% of sheltered housing tenants or 21 out of the 29 sheltered schemes. Pauline Simpson, Chair of USAP has made it her aim to reach 100% representation and plans to visit the schemes currently not included in USAP to promote the benefits and inspire them to form a group of their own or join one of the already established Sheltered Accommodation Panels (SAPs) listed below.
- Ringfields Residents Panel (Nailsworth)
- Berkeley and Sharpness SAP - representing
- Jenner Court (Berkeley)
- Hamfallow Court (Sharpness)
- Ashcroft House SAP (London Road, Stroud)
- The Grove SAP (Uplands, Stroud)
- Cam, Dursley and Wotton SAP - representing
- The Corriett (Cam)
- Draycott (Cam)
- Glebelands (Cam)
- Springfield Court (Cam)
- Cambridge House (Dursley)
- Vizard Close (Dursley)
- Dryleaze House (Wotton- Under- Edge)
- Dryleaze Court (Wotton- Under- Edge)
- Central SAP - represents
- Archway Gardens (Stroud)
- Broadfield Road (Eastington)
- Chapel Lane (Ebley)
- Sherborne House (Stonehouse)
- Hazelwood (Stonehouse)
- Willow Road (Stonehouse)
- Walter Preston Court (Cashes Green)
Tenants also participate in certain parts of the housing service through volunteering to be on focus groups or working groups with Council officers and in some cases Councillors. Some groups run for a set period of time to specifically monitor a certain situation, for example the Tenants' Consultative Group was set up in March 2004 in order to work with the Council in looking again at the Housing Options and the future of the housing stock. Other focus groups are one off yearly events such as the New Tenant Focus Group. This is made up of tenants of 6 months or less to review how they found the process of applying for and moving into Council housing. The following focus groups meet regularly to keep track of housing related issues.
- The Maintenance Focus Group
- Tenants' Benefit Focus Group
- Editorial Panel
- Tenant Participation Compact Panel
- Tenants' Conference Working Party
- Tenants' Garden Competition Panel
- Terms of Reference Panel
- Communal Cleaning Focus Group
If you would like more information on any of the items you have read about, tenant participation in general or to discuss setting up a group in your area please contact Tenant Services on 01453 754151 and ask for Lucy Clements, Tenant Participation Officer or email tenant.participation@stroud.gov.uk.
