Background

Residents identified the need for improvements to the cleanliness and maintenance of their area.  Hawkinge Parish Council also highlighted the lack of litter bins across the village.

In 2003 residents outlined that their main concerns for their area included dog fouling, stray animals, vandalism, graffiti, road sweeping, grass cutting, grounds maintenance and lack of litter bins. 

Results from a 2004 MORI survey of Hawkinge also indicated low levels of satisfaction amongst social housing tenants in the way that their housing provider deals with repairs, estate improvements and anti-social neighbours.

Housing Officers and residents came together to create a Housing Forum, which identified that residents living in Millfield and Perrot Way would benefit from a neighbourhood  caretaker. 

Progress

Since 2005 the Hawkinge Partnership has:

• Worked with the Parish, District and County Councils to install 20 new dog/litter bins in priority locations identified by residents
• Supported, in partnership with Coast and Countryside Housing services, a Caretaker for Millfield/Perot Way to help maintain the estate and provide links between residents and services
• Supported residents and Service Providers came together to carry out spring bulb planting activities to improve the appearance of the local area in Millfield and Blenheim Drive which are focus areas in Hawkinge
• Funded a study to capture residents concerns regarding conectivity issues in Hawkinge
• The Canterbury Road project has been developed focussing on improving the visual apperance of Canterbury Road

Baseline Data

• There have been a high number of environmental enquiries made at the Community Office with residents reporting dog fouling, street cleaning and grass cutting as the major issues for them (HP Monitoring 2006)
• Low levels of satisfaction amongst social housing tenants in the way that their housing provider deals with repairs (59%), estate improvements (50%) and anti-social neighbours (29%) (2004 MORI Poll)
• Poor pedestrian and cycling facilities (including indirect footpaths, poor lighting) and poor pedestrian access to public transport (Connecting Hawkinge Study 2006)
• A lack of facilities for the community e.g. for youth, and limited access to available services (particularly at night) (Connecting Hawkinge Study 2006)
• 54% of residents said that litter and rubbish in the streets was a problem in Hawkinge (MORI Poll 2004)