Blackhall Colliery Community Action Scheme

We have recently worked in Blackhall Colliery between 20 January – 4 April 2025 in the following streets:

• Aged Miners Homes
• Aspatria Avenue
• Coast Road
• Coronation Avenue
• Corry Close
• Dene Road
• East Street
• Enid Gardens
• First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Streets
• Hardwick Court
• Hardwick Street
• Hepscott Avenue
• Middle Street
• Park Avenue
• School Avenue
• Thornton Terrace
• West Avenue
• West Street
• West Street Cottages

In the first phase of this programme, we asked you, local groups, and businesses about what concerns they would like us to tackle together.

We wrote to approximately 920 households in the project area asking residents to help us identify priorities that they wanted the team to tackle.

Six face-to-face resident surgeries were held along with visits to other community meetings. These featured information from partners, including topics requested by residents

You told us you’d like to see us tackle:

• Dog Fouling in yards and the wider community
• Rubbish that has been dumped in gardens, on streets and on waste ground being removed
• Empty properties

There were also a high number of local concerns about antisocial behaviour and private rented properties, so we've categorised those as secondary priorities.

During our time in the area, we did..

Working with our partners our action and activities included:

• Regular multi-agency walkabouts have taken place including an early evening ASB walkabout.
• Extra dog fouling patrols have taken place and the Neighbourhood Wardens have renewed the dog fouling lamp post stickers.
• Neighbourhood Wardens have actioned 107 pieces of casework during the project period and issued 10 Community Protection Warnings, 1 Community Protection Notice, 11 Section 4 notices, 27 Section 46 notices. They are continuing to tackle untidy yards and fly tipping, alongside the Community Action Team working on noxious waste.
• Two days of action took place in February to tackle illegal waste carriers, untaxed vehicles and illegal number plates. Two waste carrier checks took place, and one fixed penalty notice was issued.
• Groundwork provided bin number stickers to residents as part of their free bin marking service. 15 households have requested these and had them delivered.
• Neighbourhood Wardens have worked with the property developer at Coronation Avenue to get the waste cleared.
• A litter pick took place on Wednesday 12 February. Despite the rain, they collected 3 bags of litter. By far the prevalent litter object was discarded cigarettes.
• The Empty Homes Team have written to empty homeowners in the area to urge them to bring their properties back into use.
• Community Economic Development have contacted businesses along the Front Street to offer advice and support. Two businesses are engaging with them in relation to shop front improvements.
• Enforcement work was carried out to improve the overgrown fence and land on Middle Street.
• A community clean-up took place Wednesday 19th March to clean up the back lanes behind Blackhall Primary school.
• The Fire and Rescue Service have carried out 63 safe and wellbeing visits in the area.
• Police carried out Operation Endurance, paying particular attention to Blackhall and Hesleden. They spent most of the day in the area carrying out hi visibility patrols and interacting with the public in the area. They are keen for residents to continue to report off-road bikes in the area.
• The Police have marked up the lines from Castle Eden all the way down into Blackhall as a Section 59 area. This makes it easier for them to tackle off-road bikes in these areas.
• There has been a slight increase in the uptake of Safer Streets safety checks following a leaflet drop. The initiative is due to finish at the end of March.
• The Private Initiative Team have provided bin, refuse and fly tipping advice to local agents and property owners and encouraged to pass this onto their tenants.
• The Private Initiative Team have door knocked and written to residents in Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Tenth Street advising of the work they do to ensure good letting practices. Any concerns raised have been passed onto the relevant departments.
• 92 households received letters about missing gas covers, bins and gates and were encouraged to reinstate these.
• FREE gas meter keys are now available at Blackhall Community Centre
• Groundwork have been offering FREE energy efficiency advice through their Green Doctor scheme. https://groundwork.my.salesforce-sites.com/gwnecgreendoctors
• Illicit tobacco leaflets were delivered to all shops and community buildings at the start of February as well as alcohol, drug, and dog fouling information leaflets.
• There was a meeting about a proposed project with Groundwork at the Welfare Park on Thursday 27th February.
• The bollards on Middle Street have been installed to enhance pedestrian safety in response to concerns raised by the public regarding vehicles parking on the footpath. There have been frequent incidents where vehicles were dangerously close to pedestrians, posing a risk of accidental collision. By installing these bollards, the aim is to prevent vehicles from encroaching onto the footpath, ensuring a safer and more secure environment for pedestrians walking along the street.

Thank you to everyone who came to our events and participated in the activities.