byers green community plan 2011 2014
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
Revised April 2013
livin Byers Green
Community Plan 2011-14
And
with the community at heart
2
Equality and Diversity livin aims to ensure that Equality and Diversity lies at the heart of our business and allows our customers to access high quality services tailored to their individual diverse needs. It is our policy to provide access to services and employment equality to all, irrespective of age, race or ethnic origin, gender, marital or family status, religious or philosophical belief or political opinion, disability, nationality or sexual orientation. As part of our commitment we, and our working partners, aim to treat everyone as equal citizens and recognise, support and value the diversity of the communities in which they live.
Contact Us
Communities Team
livin, Farrell House, Arlington Way
DurhamGate, Spennymoor, Co Durham, DL16 6NL
0800 587 4538 (free from a landline) or 0300 111 2234 (low rate
call from a mobile phone depending on your network)
3
Based on the intelligence contained within each Plan livin has been able to rank the
local community based on; Bronze (potential), Silver (aspiring) or Gold (performing).
This will enable us to see which communities require more immediate and intensive
interventions whilst ensuring there are mechanisms in place to maintain Gold
standards.
Indicator Ranking
Housing Market Affordability SILVER
Tenancy Turnover SILVER
Demand for livin housing GOLD
Average cost of repairs to livin properties SILVER
Long Term Unemployment1
(6 - 12 months)
BRONZE
Average Household Income2 GOLD
Rental Debit SILVER
Educational Attainment (5 GCSE’s Grade C & Above)
GOLD
Environmental Assessment GOLD
Overall Community Ranking SILVER
1,2 Data used to compile this ranking relates to the Middlestone Ward (including Byers Green
and Kirk Merrington). Data collection limitations have restricted this information being
available for Byers Green only.
Community Ranking - Byers Green
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Page No.
Section 1 Community profile 7
1.1 Demographics 8
1.1.1 Population – now and in the future 8
1.1.2 Religion and ethnicity 12
1.2 Housing 15
1.2.1 Housing tenure 15
1.2.2 Average house prices 16
1.2.3 Current supply and demand for housing 19
1.2.4 livin tenancy sustainment 23
1.2.5 Vacant/Abandoned properties 25
1.2.6 Future demand for housing 27
1.2.7 Average cost of repairs to livin properties 30
1.2.8 Average cost of improvement programmes for 30
livin properties
1.3 Crime and antisocial behaviour 32
1.4 Economy and employment 36
1.4.1 Economic activity 36
1.4.2 Jobseekers Allowance claimants 40
1.4.3 Department for Works and Pensions key 41
benefit claimants
1.4.4 Household income 41
1.4.5 Vehicle ownership and cost of travel 42
1.4.6 Rental debit in livin properties 43
1.5 Access to services and facilities 46
1.6 Health and wellbeing 50
Contents
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Page No.
1.7 Education and training 52
1.8 Reputation of the local area and community 56
cohesion
1.9 Local environment 57
Section 2 Community priorities 59
Section 3 Review of the community plan 60
Appendix 1 livin Strategic framework and regulatory 61
requirements
Appendix 2 Methodology 67
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Page No.
Figure 1.1 Aerial overview of Byers Green 7
Figure 1.2 Age profile of population in Byers Green 8
Figure 1.3 Household profile for Byers Green 9
Figure 1.4 Population projections for Durham County 10
Figure 1.5 Age pyramid projections for Durham County 11
Figure 1.6 Housing tenure in Byers Green 15
Figure 1.7 Average house prices in Byers Green 17
Figure 1.8 livin stock in Byers Green 20
Figure 1.9 Age profile of livin lead tenants in Byers Green 20
Figure 1.10 livin properties available for let during the period 22
1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010 in Byers Green
Figure 1.11 livin tenancy sustainment within Byers Green 24
Figure 1.12 Range of energy efficient measures that youths would like to 28
see in their future homes
Figure 1.13 Middlestone Ward, Byers Green and Kirk Merrington 32
Police Beat Area
Figure 1.14 Reported incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour in 33
Middlestone Ward during December 2010 to May 2011
Figure 1.15 Economic activity in Byers Green 36
Figure 1.16 Occupation profile of 16 to 74 year olds in 38
Byers Green
Figure 1.17 Economic inactivity in Byers Green 39
Figure 1.18 Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants in Byers Green 40
Figure 1.19 Breakdown of persons claiming key DWP benefits within 41
Byers Green
Figure 1.20 Levels of Health within Byers Green 50
Figure 1.21 Educational attainment within Byers Green 52
Figure 1.22 Route of Environmental Assessment 58
List of Figures
7
Byers Green is a village located within County Durham, approximately 9 miles south
of Durham City and 16 miles north of Darlington. It is located to the west of
Spennymoor.
It is not known how long there has been a settlement on the current site of the
village. A large burial mound thought to date back to the Bronze Age used to be
visible in the area, but has since been destroyed by mining activity. The first
recorded name for the village was “Bires” in 1345, and is thought to be the exact
equivalent to the modern day word “byres”. The village’s name can therefore be
translated as “the green by the cow sheds”.
Throughout the years the village has mainly supported itself by farming and work
within the local coal mining industry. The opening of Byers Green Colliery in 1841
provided a major source of employment for local residents. Other local collieries
were located at nearby Whitworth, Page Bank, Tudhoe, Ferryhill and Mainsforth.
The closure of these collieries during the late nineteenth to mid twentieth century
finally saw the demise of the mining industry within the area, with Whitworth colliery
finally closing in 1974.
From its opening in 1835 through to closure in 1901, Tudhoe Iron Works also
provided employment for many residents in Byers Green and the surrounding area.
Figure 1.1: Aerial overview of Byers Green
Source: Ordnance Survey
Once part of the former “Sedgefield Borough”, Byers Green is now served by the
unitary authority of Durham County Council (DCC). The village is part of the
Spennymoor Township and is served by Spennymoor Town Council. It is also part of
the Spennymoor Area Action Partnership (AAP) which covers the areas of:
Section 1 Community Profile
8
Spennymoor, Middlestone Moor, Kirk Merrington, Tudhoe, Croxdale, Sunderland
Bridge and Hett.
1.1 Demographics
1.1.1 Population – Now and in the future
The population within the settlement of Byers Green is
approximately 672 (Census Settlement Populations,
DCC, 2001). 50.5% of the total population are male
with the remaining 49.5% being female (Census, 2001,
Lower Layer Super Output Area (LLSOA), KS01, 005A).
Population data indicates that Byers Green has a diverse range of age groups.
There is a high percentage (58.6%) of persons aged between 25 to 64 years old
living in the village; this being comparable to both the Durham County (53.3%) and
North East (52.3%) averages. To facilitate good levels of economic activity within
the area it is essential that a high percentage of the population are in employment
and contributing to the local economy, or actively seeking employment.
There is a lower percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 years (8.9%) and
persons aged 65 years or more (11.9%) living within the village when compared to
the Durham County and North East averages.
Figure 1.2: Age profile of population in Byers Green
Source: Census 2001, LLSOA, KS02, 005A
There is a higher than average percentage (20.7%) of children aged 0 to 15 years
living within the village when compared to the Durham County (19.1%) and North
East (19.8%) averages. In 15 to 20 years this age group will begin the transition into
the “economically active” age group.
20.7
8.9
58.6
11.9 19.1
11.0
53.3
16.5
19.8
11.1
52.3
16.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Persons aged0-15
Persons aged16-24
Persons aged25-64
Persons aged65 years and
over
%
Byers Green
Durham County
North East
The population of
Byers Green is
approximately 672.
9
As high levels of economic activity are important in enhancing sustainability in an
area it is important that efforts are made to encourage younger residents to remain
within the village through the provision of affordable housing and opportunities for
local employment.
The main household types in Byers Green consist of married couples with no
dependent children (26.2%), followed by single person households (24.9%) and
married couples with dependent children (24.1%) (Census 2001, LLSOA, KS20,
005A).
The number of married households with no dependent children in Byers Green
(26.2%) is significantly higher than the averages for both Durham County (21.7%)
and the North East (19.9%). There are also a higher percentage of married couples
with children living in the village when compared to the Durham County (21.7%) and
North East averages (16.9%).
There is a lower percentage of lone parent households (with dependents) when
compared to Durham County (6.7%) and North East (7.4%) averages and a lower
percentage of single person households.
This higher percentage of married couples and families living in the village may be
attributed to the age profile which indicates that 67.5% of residents are aged 16 to 64
years old. The low percentage of single households within the village may be due to
the lower than average percentage of persons aged 65 years or more living in the
village.
Figure 1.3: Household Profile for Byers Green
Source: Census 2001, LLSOA, KS20, 005A
24.1%
26.2%
5.6% 4.5%
3.1%
3.0%
24.9%
0.0% 7.3%
1.5% Married couple household with dependentchild(ren)
Married couple household with nodependent child(ren)
Cohabiting couple household withdependent child(ren)
Cohabiting couple household with nodependent child(ren)
Lone parent household with dependentchild(ren)
Lone parent household with no dependentchild(ren)
One person household
Multi person household: All student
Multi person household: All other
Multi person household: With dependentchild(ren)
10
Trend-based projections from DCC indicate that the countywide population will
initially decline up until 2016 before staging a recovery and increasing to an
estimated total of 501,625 in 2026 (Strategic Housing Market Assessment, DCC,
2010). Figure 1.4 illustrates the actual population totals within Durham County for
the period 1981 to 2007. Future population figures up to the year 2026, as projected
by DCC, are shown in pink on the graph.
Figure 1.4: Population projections for Durham County
Source: Durham County Strategic Housing Market Assessment, 2010
The late 1950’s through to the early 1970’s saw a steady rise in the number of births
throughout the Country. The progression of this ‘baby boom’ period has caused, and
will continue to cause, different challenges to the
County’s population. Currently this generation falls
within the economically active age group (generally
16-64 years), but shortly will begin the transition
into retirement and will be the main driver of an
ageing population over the next 28 years.
Increasing life expectancy will also contribute
towards the County’s growing elderly population. DCC’s age pyramid (figure 1.5)
highlights the expected increase in the 65 plus age group and a decline in the
economically active age group.
2008-based projections: various trends for the overall population
465000
470000
475000
480000
485000
490000
495000
500000
505000
510000
515000
520000
525000
530000
535000
540000
545000
550000
555000
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025
Nu
mb
er
anticipatedactual
DCC
Principal
DCC Lower
95%
DCC NC
ONS
Principal
By 2026 the number of
persons in the
“economically active” age
group will total less than
present.
11
To facilitate good levels of economic activity within a community it is essential that a
high percentage of the population are contributing to the local economy through
employment or by actively seeking work. To encourage and attract an economically
active population to reside in an area it is imperative for there to be a good supply of
local sustainable jobs and affordable housing.
Figure 1.5: Age pyramid projections for Durham County
Source: Durham County Council, Strategic Housing Market Assessment, 2010
The age pyramid indicates that in 2008
persons aged between 25 to 35 years were in
the minority when compared to other age
groups within the County. This means that by
2026 when the whole of this age group is
expected to be economically active there will
be a lesser number of persons contributing
towards economic activity than at present.
The Countywide projection of an increasing elderly population, coupled with an
associated fall in the numbers of persons that are economically active will see an
increased demand on fiscal, housing and health provisions throughout the County
during the coming years.
Although Byers Green does not currently have an ageing population there is a
possibility of this emerging over the next 20 to 30 years. There are currently a high
percentage of persons aged between 25 to 64 years living in the village. During the
2008 based projections: the Age Pyramids for County Durham in 2008 and 2026 implied by
the DCC and ONS projections
40000 30000 20000 10000 0 10000 20000 30000 40000
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85-90
90+
ag
e g
rou
ps
year 2008 year 2026
ONS 2026
ONS 2008
2026 DCC
2008 DCC
2 per. Mov. Avg.(2008 DCC)2 per. Mov. Avg.(ONS 2008)2 per. Mov. Avg.(2026 DCC)2 per. Mov. Avg.(ONS 2026)
An ageing population, and fall in
the number of persons
economically active by 2026 will
place an increased demand on
fiscal, housing and health
provisions.
12
forthcoming years this age group will begin or continue their transition into
retirement. If efforts are not made to continually encourage and attract younger
households to the village through the provision of affordable and accessible housing
and sustainable employment then it is likely that an ageing population will become
prominent. An ageing population can result in decreasing levels of economic
activity; this is turn can have a detrimental effect on sustainability and the local
economy.
DCC estimates indicate that in 2010 there were 206,281 households countywide.
This number is expected to increase by 24.9% to a total of 257,651 households by
2030 (Strategic Housing Market Assessment, DCC, 2010).
By 2030 single person households (including single pensioners) are expected to
double (100.3% increase to 56,564); whereas two person households are only
expected to increase by 18% to 14,087. Larger households of three persons or
more, and those with a housing need of two bedroom properties or more, are
expected to reduce by 19,281 (26.9%). This decrease in larger households, coupled
with a significant increase in single person households, will have a major impact on
the supply and demand of housing throughout the County.
1.1.2 Religion and Ethnicity
An understanding of the ethnic and religious structure of the local population enables
livin to ensure that services are equally accessible, responsive and tailored to the
needs and requirements of all residents living within its local communities. It will also
help livin ensure that any minority groups are consulted with during future research
and intelligence gathering, and allows for consideration of any specific needs in
relation to access for housing, health, and employability during the creation of each
community’s key priorities and Local Offers.
2001 Census data indicated that the main religion in Byers Green is Christianity
(85.4%). 0.2% stated their religion to be Sikh, Buddhist or Muslim. 0.3% stated their
religion to be “other”. The remaining population stated they had no religion or did not
provide details (Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS07, 005A).
Ethnicity within the area predominantly consists of White British (99%). The
remaining 1% of the population is from other ethnic backgrounds including Other
white, or Mixed other and Indian (Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS06, 005A).
Recent research conducted by DCC and NHS Darlington estimated that between
0.43% to 0.57% of Durham County’s population consists of persons from Gypsy,
Roma and Traveller Households (Renaissance Research, 2010). Further analysis of
these figures is currently not possible due to a lack of further data and intelligence.
DCC’s Gypsy, Roma and Traveller site at East Howle is the only permanent
residential site within livin’s area of operation.
13
What does this mean for livin?
It is important that the available housing stock within the community is able to meet
the housing demands of the current and future population. Currently the majority of
households in Byers Green consist of families and young couples; the majority of
whom will have a housing need for larger sized quality homes with two bedrooms or
more. In addition to it is necessary for there to be a range of accessible services and
support organisations within the local area to provide support to these households
over the coming years.
To facilitate good levels of economic activity in a community it is essential that a high
percentage of the population are contributing to the local economy through
employment or actively seeking work. To achieve this it is important that efforts are
made to continually attract and encourage younger households to move into the
Key Community Characteristics:
58.6% of residents in the community are aged 25 to 64 years. This is higher
than the Durham County average. To facilitate good levels of economic activity
within the area it is essential that a high percentage of the population are of
working age and contributing to the local economy through employment or by
actively seeking work.
Only 11.9% of residents in the community are aged 65 years or more. This is
lower than the County and North East averages.
Byers Green has a higher percentage of residents aged 0 to 15 and 25 to 64
years when compared to the rest of Durham County.
The Village has higher percentages of families and young couples when
compared to the rest of Durham County. 26.2% of households consist of
married couples with no dependent children and 24.1% of households consist
of married couples with dependent children.
24.9% of households consist of single persons. This is lower than the Durham
County average. Durham County Council projections indicate that the number of
single households will significantly increase over the coming years.
Currently the majority of the countywide population fall into the “economically
active” age group; however these residents will soon begin the transition into
retirement and will be the main driver of an ageing population.
99% of residents are White British; with the remaining 1% being of Other White,
Mixed White or Indian ethnic origin. The prominent religion in the community is
Christianity (85.4%).
14
village through the provision of affordable and accessible housing, and sustainable
local employment.
Currently 18% of livin’s housing stock within this community consists of one bedroom
bungalows. Demand for this property type is typically low throughout all of livin’s
communities. There are no larger sized bungalows owned by livin within the village.
Countywide there is currently a high demand for bungalows with two bedrooms or
more. Analysis of population trends and future population projections expects this
level of demand to continue for larger sized bungalows. However, consideration
must be given to the forthcoming Welfare Reform and its potential for again
increasing demand for smaller sized properties for persons under 65. To ensure
housing stock is able to meet current and future demand livin will be required to
complete a comprehensive review of the provision and suitability of its current
housing stock, specifically for older persons.
An understanding of the ethnic and religious structure of the local population will
enable livin to ensure that their services are equally accessible, responsive and
tailored to the needs and requirements of all residents living within its local
communities.
15
1.2 Housing
1.2.1 Housing Tenure
Byers Green has a varied range of housing
tenures. This is very important as a diverse mix of
housing tenures will positively contribute towards
making the village more sustainable by meeting the needs of a cross section of the
population.
More than three quarters of residents living in Byers Green own their properties.
30.7% of residents own their property outright and 48.4% own their home through a
mortgage or loan scheme. 0.5% of residents own their home through shared
ownership.
A lower percentage of social housing (15.4%) is
located within the village, compared to the County
average of 25.4%. Social housing consists of
domestic properties which are owned by Registered
Providers (RP’s) or the Local Authority. All social
housing in Byers Green that was previously owned
by Sedgefield Borough Council is now owned and managed by livin.
Figure 1.6: Housing Tenure in Byers Green Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA KS18, 007A
There is a lower than average percentage of households in Byers Green living in
privately rented properties (2.9%) when compared to the rest of the County (5%).
The private rented sector has always played an important role in the housing market
30.7%
48.4%
0.5%
15.4%
0.0%
2.9% 2.1%
Owner occupied: owns outright
Owner occupied: owns with amortgage or loan
Owner occupied: shared ownership
Rented from: Local Authority -including livin
Rented from: Housing Association /Registered Social Landlord
Rented from: private landlord orletting agent
Rented from: other
A lower percentage
(15.4%) of social housing is
located in the community,
when compared to the
County average of 25.4%.
79.6% of households in
Byers Green own their own
home outright or through a
mortgage/loan or shared
ownership scheme.
16
by offering accommodation for those households unable to access owner-occupation
or socially rented housing.
Tighter controls and restrictions on mortgages and financial lending are likely to
place an even higher future demand on social housing from low income households
or first time buyers. Those households unable to access social housing will be
required to look to the private rented sector to meet their housing need, placing an
even higher demand on this already limited sector. During consultation residents
expressed concerns about the number of properties within Byers Green that are
currently up for sale, and the perceived low number of completed sales due to tighter
restrictions on financial lending and the current economic climate.
Although Byers Green exhibits a slightly unbalanced housing market with a higher
than average percentage of owner occupation and lower than average percentages
of social housing and privately rented properties these are typical characteristics of a
small rural village.
There is a local Gypsy and Traveller site located at East Howle, approximately 7
miles from Byers Green. The site is provided by DCC and has 25 permanent
pitches. It is the only permanent site in the local area for the Gypsy, Roma and
Traveller community.
1.2.2 Average House Prices
Land Registry data for January to March 2010 indicates that the average house price
in DL16 7 (covering Kirk Merrington, part of Spennymoor, Middlestone Moor and
Byers Green) was £132,138. This price is nearly £35,000 higher than the Durham
County average of £97,556 for the same period (Land Registry, 2011).
Terraced house prices for DL16 7 for this period were on average £78,178. The
average price of a terraced property in Durham County for this period was £60,742.
Countywide, detached properties cost an average £16,700 more, and semidetached
properties an average £20,600 more.
Only 2.9% of households in the community are living in privately rented
properties when compared to the rest of the County (5%).
17
Figure 1.7: Average House Prices in DL16 7 and County Durham (January to March 2010) Source: Land Registry, 2011
It has not been possible to obtain individual house price data for Byers Green alone.
It is recognised that the differing affluences within the areas included in the postcode
DL16 7 will have a bearing on the local house prices for each individual community.
Information obtained from the Right Move website in September 2011, indicates the
current prices of propertied within Byers Green to range from £57,000 for a terraced
property to £375,000 for a detached property. Approximately a third of properties for
sale in Byers Green at this time were priced at under £110,000.
The County Durham Strategic Housing Market Assessment (DCC, 2010) assessed
affordability between lower quartile house prices and lower quartile earnings. Based
on these figures buyers would need to borrow 4.6 times their income (based on
lower quartile earnings) to purchase a property (based on lower quartile house
prices) in the area of the former Sedgefield Borough. Access to lending on homes is
calculated using a multiplier of 3.5 for single households and 2.9 for households with
two or more incomes.
For Byers Green, buyers will need to borrow 5.9 times their own income to purchase
a property within the area of DL16 7 (covering Kirk Merrington, part of Spennymoor,
Middlestone Moor and Byers Green). This has resulted in a community ranking of
SILVER. However, intelligence indicates that this figure could be slightly lower given
current house prices from Right Move. Full details of the methodology for this
ranking can be found in Appendix 2.
£61,125 £78,178
£115,022
£195,541
£132,138
£73,445 £60,742 £94,403 £178,711 £97,556 £0
£50,000
£100,000
£150,000
£200,000
£250,000
Byers Green
Durham County
18
During livin’s consultation there were concerns from residents about the affordability
of property in the village for first time buyers as a result of reduced mortgage
products and financial lending. The cost of buying a home within the community is
less affordable when compared to the former Sedgefield Borough, but more
affordable when compared nationally (6.28). Residents perceive there to be a need
for the provision of “affordable” homes within the village to allow first time buyers and
young families access to the housing market.
Residents are also concerned that current house prices and lending restrictions are
stopping households from outside the area moving into the village; this having a
detrimental effect on sustainability. The property boom of the mid 1990’s saw a
number of new “commuter” households move into the area into newly built properties
within the village. Many of these households live within the village and commute to
work in nearby towns and cities.
Although there are a number of current Government incentives available nationwide
to help first time property buyers these are only available on new build properties. A
new scheme called First Buy was introduced from September 2011. This scheme
will be jointly funded by the Government and house builders and will provide a 20%
loan to top up the first time buyer’s own deposit of 5%. This will allow them to take
out a mortgage for 75% of the property’s value. The loans will be free of charge for
the first five years and must be repaid when the property is resold. The funds will
then be recycled to fund more homes in the scheme. Current schemes can be found
in nearby Spennymoor and Ferryhill Station.
Key Housing Market Characteristics:
The community has a wide range of Housing Tenures; this is important as a
diverse mix will contribute towards making an area more sustainable by meeting
the need of a cross section of the population.
There are high levels of owner occupation within the community. 79.1% of
households own their property outright, or through a mortgage or loan scheme.
0.5% own their home through shared ownership.
The community has a lower percentage of social housing (15.4%) when
compared to the rest of Durham County.
Only 2.9% of properties in the community are privately rented properties. The
private rented sector plays an important part in any local housing market as it is
able to offer accommodation for those unable to access owner occupation or
social housing.
Residents perceive a need for “affordable” housing within the community; to
enable first time buyers and young families access to the housing market.
19
What does this mean for livin?
livin only has a small stake of the housing market within this community given the
lower than average percentage of social housing in the village. The private rented
sector in the village is also comparatively small. Despite the small percentage of
social housing within the village it is important to recognise that livin will still be
required to play a role in balancing the local housing market within the community by
making efforts to meet the housing needs identified in DCC’s Housing Strategies.
livin needs to consider the health of the local housing market and the ability of
households to meet their housing need. Lack of access to the owner occupier and
private rented sectors can increase pressure on livin’s housing stock, particularly for
single households, young couples and families.
1.2.3 Current Supply and Demand for Housing
livin Housing Stock
livin currently owns and manages a total of 76
properties in Byers Green (livin, 2011).
Ownership of these properties transferred to livin in
March 2009 as part of a stock transfer from the
now disbanded Sedgefield Borough Council. Since
March 2009 there have been no properties within
Byers Green purchased from livin through the “Right to Buy” scheme.
These 76 properties include one bedroom bungalows, two bedroom flats, and two
and three bedroom houses. livin currently do not own any two or three bedroom
bungalows, or four bedroom properties within the village. Four bedroom properties
are typically found in livin’s larger communities, including Newton Aycliffe and
Spennymoor. Any households requiring a larger sized bungalow or a four bedroom
property will be required to consider accessing owner occupation or the private
rented sector. If these households are unable to afford owner occupation and are
not able to find a suitable private let within the village this will result in them being
required to move away from the community to meet their housing need.
A breakdown of livin’s stock in Byers Green and the age profile of lead tenants can
be seen in the following tables:
livin own 76 properties in the
community; 18% of these are
one bedroom bungalows and
76% are two and three
bedroom houses.
20
Property Types
1 Bed Bungalows 14
2 Bedroom Flat 4
2 Bedroom Houses 41
3 Bedroom Houses 17
Total 76 Figure 1.8: livin stock in Byers Green (as at 11 July 2011) Source: livin, 2011
Figure 1.9: Age profile of livin lead tenants in Byers Green (as at 11 July 2011) Source: livin, 2011
Currently 76% of livin’s housing stock in Byers Green consists of two and three
bedroom houses and 18% of the stock consists of one bedroom bungalows.
Due to the low level of stock turnover within Byers Green it has not been possible to
determine overall level of demand for all livin property types within the village.
However, recent turnover of two and three bedroom houses in the village is
consistent with that of other livin communities.
It is important that stock levels within a community are able to meet current and
future demands for housing. Limited numbers of housing stock together with low
levels of turnover will require some households to have to consider other housing
options. An inability to access owner-occupation, social housing or the private
rented sector may force many households, including couples and families, to move
away from the village. As the majority of persons within these households are likely
to be economically active their move from the village has the potential to see a
downturn in the area’s economy and the level of sustainability within the community.
The provision of bungalows within an area would normally be expected to help meet
the demands of an ageing population, or those wishing to remain in mainstream
housing through their later years. livin’s bungalow stock within Byers Green is small
and consists of only one bedroom bungalows. As current demand for one bedroom
bungalows throughout all of livin’s communities is typically low there is the potential
for this property type not to meet future housing demand within the area. livin must
however consider the forthcoming Welfare Reform and its potential for again
increasing a demand for smaller sized properties for persons under 65.
Age Range (based on age of lead tenant)
16-20 years 2
21-30 years 10
31-40 years 11
41-50 years 14
51-60 years 11
61-70 years 12
71-80 years 6
81 years or more 9
Unknown (Void, non livin managed) 1
Total 76
21
livin Housing Demand, Need and Turnover
Since 1 October 2009 livin has allocated properties
through a Choice Based Lettings (CBL) scheme,
known as Durham Key Options (DKO). DKO is a
partnership of local housing providers across
County Durham. CBL allows applicants to place an
interest, or “bid”, for the type of property they
require based on their circumstances.
Analysis of livin’s housing register in February 2011 found there to be 16 active
applications for housing received from residents already living in Byers Green. 5 of
these applicants were banded by DKO as Bands A to C+ due to them having a
statutory housing need. A further 4 applicants that are currently living with their
parents/family have are banded with DKO as Band D, due to their need to live
independently. This number of households in housing need may be linked to the
inability of some households to obtain a mortgage or loan due to current lending
restrictions, or the restricted access to the private rented and social housing sectors
due to low stock levels within the village.
During the period 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010, there were seven livin
properties available for let in Byers Green making livin’s stock turnover within the
community 9%. This is comparable to the total
turnover of all livin housing stock (9%) for the same
period.
Based on national benchmarking figures provided by
HouseMark this low level of stock turnover has
resulted in the community being ranked as SILVER
for Tenancy Turnover. Full details of the methodology used for this ranking can be
found in Appendix 2.
To maintain sustainability within a community there will always be a need for some
level of tenancy turnover. It is important that turnover does not reach a level where it
becomes detrimental to housing demand, the community’s reputation or the local
economy. Likewise, levels of turnover must not be as low as to restrict access to
social housing for those households with a housing need. Limited social housing
stock together with low levels of turnover within Byers Green will result in a higher
demand being placed on an already limited private rented sector, or will see a
number of households move away from the area to access affordable or social
housing.
In February 2011, 5
households from Byers
Green were registered
with Durham Key
Options and in statutory
housing need.
During the 1 October
2009 to 30 September
2010 there was low
tenancy turnover in
Byers Green.
22
Figure 1.10: livin properties available for let during the period 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010 in Byers Green Source: livin, 2011
The only livin properties available for let within the village during the period 1
October 2009 to 30 September 2010 were one bedroom bungalows, and two and
three bedroom houses. There are no four bedroom properties owned by livin within
Byers Green which is typical of many of livin’s smaller communities.
Countywide there is a high demand for two bedroom properties and there is currently
an increased demand for bungalows with two bedrooms or more (County Durham
Strategic Housing Market Assessment, 2010). Comparison of the current population
within the village to DCC’s forecasted population for 2028 expects this trend to
continue. Within Byers Green livin do not own any bungalows with two or more
bedrooms, and only own a limited amount of two bedroom houses, all of which have
infrequent turnover. Low turnover of all property types and limited availability of two
bedroom properties within Byers Green will require those households with a housing
need for these property types to consider other
housing options.
For many households, including first time buyers
or those on a low income, buying a home is not a
viable option leading to increased demand on the
private rented sector. High market rents or a lack
of availability of larger properties within this
housing sector may ultimately force some households to move out of the local area
in search of suitable accommodation.
There were only five bids received for the one bedroom bungalow which became
available for let during 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010. However, it is
important to note that this property had previously
been adapted to meet the needs of a disabled tenant,
therefore potentially affecting the level of demand
and number of bids received. Although the level of
demand for this property type within Byers Green
cannot be fully determined from this one property,
low demand for one bedroom bungalows is typical
throughout all of livin communities. Demand for two
and three bedroom houses within Byers Green is
comparable with other livin communities.
One Bedroom Bungalow
Two Bedroom House
Three Bedroom House
Number of Properties
1 5 1
Number of Bids 5 140
15
There is good demand for
two bedroom houses in
Byers Green, this is typical of
all of livin’s communities
“There is a demand for
‘affordable’ housing
within the village.”
Resident from Byers Green
23
It is important to remember that policy decisions and legislation will also affect the
levels of demand for particular house types. A high demand for two bedroom
houses could be due to need and eligibility from several household groups including
families, couples, and single persons whereas three and four bedroom properties will
only be eligible for larger families to let, and bungalows for older persons or those
with a medical need. If after one advertising cycle with DKO a bungalow is unable to
be let, livin may consider lowering the age restriction to increase eligibility for more
applicants. It is therefore important that lettings policies are regularly reassessed to
reflect the supply of housing and the current levels of demand with the aim of
promoting sustainability within an area.
During 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010 there were no “Hard to let” properties
in Byers Green. Hard to let properties are defined as properties that have been
advertised in a CBL bidding cycle three times or more with DKO.
Based on the number of bids received per property; the absence of hard to let
properties and 20% of livin’s housing applicants indicating Byers Green to be an
area of preference the community has been ranked as GOLD for demand for livin
Housing. Full details of the methodology used for this ranking can be found in
Appendix 2.
During livin’s consultation events there were concerns expressed by residents about
the affordability of property within the village. Residents are concerned that the cost
of property within Byers Green and the current restrictions on mortgages and
financial lending are resulting in many first time buyers being unable to access the
housing market.
Residents also commented on the perceived length of time it is taking for properties
to sell in the village, and the reduced numbers of new households that are moving
into the area.
1.2.4 livin Tenancy Sustainment
There is a high percentage of long term tenancy
sustainment within properties owned by livin in
Byers Green. This is reflected in the low level of
turnover of housing stock within the village.
The limited number of properties owned by livin within Byers Green combined with
high levels of tenancy sustainment is resulting in restricted access to social housing
for many local residents.
As at 13 July 2011, 32% of livin tenants within Byers Green have lived in their
current home for a period of between 0 to 4 years; 23% of tenants for a period of 5 to
9 years and 45% of tenants have lived in their current home for 10 years or more.
The majority of livin tenants that have lived in their property for 10 years or more
reside in two and three bedroom properties within Byers Green.
45% of tenants who have a livin
tenancy in this community have
lived in their current home for 10
years or more.
24
Figure 1.11: livin tenancy sustainment within Byers Green Source: livin, July 2011 (not including void properties or non livin managed properties)
In June 2011, livin and other partner agencies participated in a Youth Forum event
with local schools and Spennymoor Extended Services. The Forum involved a
number of young people aged 10 to 13 years predominantly from Spennymoor,
Byers Green, Kirk Merrington, and Middlestone Moor, and was utilised to obtain
views and opinions about their communities, housing and lifestyles. During the
event, 52.4% of youths stated they were happy living in their current home. From a
total of 42 youths surveyed during the event, 33.3% have lived in their current home
for up to four years, and 38.1% have lived in their current home for 10 years or more.
Community sustainability requires an appropriate level of tenancy turnover. High
levels of tenancy sustainment within social housing can be for a multitude of
reasons. Although some may be favourable it is important to ensure that tenants are
not remaining in their current home due to restrictions in their housing options (i.e.
inability to purchase their own property) or financial restrictions around the cost of
relocating.
High levels of tenancy sustainment can often be found in areas where there are a
number of properties that are used to house older households or those with a
medical need. As increasing numbers of older households are now making the
decision to remain in mainstream housing through their later years rather than move
into specialised accommodation it is expected that increased tenancy sustainment
will place an even higher level of demand on the availability of social housing within
Byers Green in the future.
High levels of tenancy sustainment may also result in housing stock being under
occupied. Larger households may over time reduce in size due to children growing
up and leaving home, relationship breakdowns or bereavement. In addition to a
detrimental effect on the level of housing demand within a community there may be
financial implications to the tenant as a result of the Government’s forthcoming
32%
23%
45%
0-4 years
5-9 years
10 years +
25
Welfare Reform which aims to reduce benefit payments for households that are
under occupying their property (excluding those over 65 years).
1.2.5 Vacant/Abandoned Properties
High levels of void or empty properties can be
a strong indicator of low demand for housing
within an area. Byers Green has a low
percentage of housing stock consisting of
empty and/or abandoned properties,
indicating a good level of overall demand.
Information obtained from DCC in July 2011 indicates there to be 8 possible
properties that have been empty and/or abandoned properties (this figure may
include properties that are currently for sale) within Byers Green for a period of six
months or more. Based on a total of 651 domestic dwellings (Census, 2001,
LLSOA, KS16, 005A) this is only 1.2% of the total number of propertied within the
village. Data collection limitations have restricted further detailed analysis of this
information.
During July 2010, a low
percentage of properties within
the village were vacant /
abandoned.
26
What does this mean for livin?
Demand for livin housing in this community has been ranked as Gold. It is essential
that this ranking is maintained to this level over the coming year.
The projection of an ageing population throughout the County over the coming years,
in conjunction with the expected continuing level of demand for properties with two
bedrooms or more, highlights a need for livin to review its provision of current
housing stock to meet the current and future housing needs of the local population.
It is important that to maintain sustainability within the village there is a good supply
of accessible and affordable family homes.
Within the village livin own a limited number of two and three bedroom properties,
none of these are bungalows. Countywide there is an increased demand for two
bedroom bungalows, and based on DCC’s future population projections it is
expected that this trend for will continue.
Key Supply and Demand Characteristics:
livin currently own 76 properties within the community; 18% are one bedroom
bungalows and 76% are two and three bedroom houses.
There are no larger sized bungalows or four bedroom properties owned by
livin in the community.
31% of applicants on the housing register that currently live in the community were
classed as having a Housing Need (Bands A to C+).
During 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010, only 7 properties became
available for let; making tenancy turnover within the community 9%.
During 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010 there was limited turnover of two
or three bedroom houses. Households requiring these property types may be
forced to access the private rented sector or move out of the village to meet their
housing need.
Demand is lower for one bedroom bungalows in livin’s community. livin lettings
policy normally restricts the letting of bungalows to persons aged 60 years or
more, unless there is a medical need.
Local residents are concerned about the affordability of properties within the
village and access to the housing market for first time buyers. They feel that
the limited availability of social housing within the community is resulting in local
households moving out of the area to meet their housing need.
43% of livin tenants living within the community have sustained their tenancy for
a period of 10 years or more.
27
Although the level of demand for one bedroom bungalows within Byers Green
cannot be fully determined at this time due to low levels of turnover, demand for this
property type is typically low throughout livin’s communities. This therefore
highlights a need for livin to conduct a stock options appraisal and review of its
housing provision for older persons. Any stock appraisals conducted by livin must
consider the forthcoming Welfare Reform and its potential for increasing demand for
smaller sized properties for persons under 65.
livin must consider that residents are concerned about the current economic climate
and how mortgage and lending restrictions are increasing the levels of demand for
social housing within the community. There must be consideration for affordable
housing that will meet the needs of the wider community.
Community sustainability requires an appropriate level of tenancy turnover. It is
important that consideration be given to the reasons behind high levels of
sustainment to ensure residents are not being forced to remain in their current home
due to restrictions in their housing options or financial circumstances.
1.2.6 Future Demand for Housing
Future population and household projections for a community can be utilised by a
number of different service providers to predict the future level of demand on their
services. In conjunction with other social, economic, and environmental indicators
these projections may be used to forecast the demand and need for housing in a
community.
DCC have conducted a Strategic Housing Market Assessment (DCC, 2010) which
can be utilised by RP’s to help determine the expected level of demand for housing
over the coming years and assist them in developing future housing strategies. The
following population and household projections within this Community Plan are
based on this countywide assessment.
It is expected that the vast majority of older persons will decide to remain in their own
homes with mainstream housing providing the primary means of meeting this
demand. Local RP’s will be required to support this by providing extra support
services and help for people to adapt their homes to meet their changing needs.
Some vulnerable groups will require support or bespoke housing solutions and it is
expected that there will be a sharp growth in demand for specialist housing projects
for persons aged 75 years or older during the coming years. The decisions of older
households to remain in their homes will influence the supply of housing available for
other household groups. As a result it is important that local housing providers
recognise the potential opportunities for supporting older households to downsize,
thus releasing a supply of larger family homes for other household groups.
28
In recognition of this increased demand on mainstream housing the Northern
Housing Consortium (NHC) published a guide to Age Friendly Communities in the
North: People and Places 2020. This publication is the result of a two year project
involving consultation with local communities and key Consortium members, and
focuses on building an evidence base to demonstrate the significant impact housing
can have on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of older people.
During the Youth Forum event, livin spoke to local youths about their aspirations for
their future homes. There are a high percentage of youths that wish to continue to
live within the local area when they move to their own home. 45.2% of youths
indicated a desire to continue to live in nearby communities including Spennymoor
Town, Chilton, Ferryhill, and Middridge.
During livin’s consultation local residents did not provide any comments relating to
energy saving measures or increasing energy efficiency within their homes.
However, discussion with local youths found them to have a good knowledge of the
measures available to increase energy efficiency within their future homes. More
than a third (38.1%) stated that they would like to see solar power used to power
their future homes, and just under a quarter (21.4%) would like the energy in their
future home to be generated through wind turbines.
Energy Efficiency Measure % of youths indicating this measure to be part of their future home (able to indicate more than one answer)
Solar Power 38.1%
Composting Equipment 9.5%
Electric car charging point 26.2%
Under floor heating 21.4%
Wind Turbine 21.4%
Grassed Roofs 11.9%
Thermal Energy 9.5%
Triple Glazing 2.4%
Water butts 9.5% Figure 1.12: Range of energy efficient measures that youths would like to see in their future
homes
There was increased knowledge about the use and benefits of electric vehicles with
26.2% stating that they would like to see electric car charging points provided in their
future homes.
29
What does this mean for livin? livin’s Development and Asset Management strategies must take into account future
population projections and consider the expected demand for social housing within
the community to ensure future housing stock will meet the needs and demands of
local residents.
livin will have to consider its current housing provision and how it will meet the needs
of a potentially increasing elderly population whilst also finding bespoke solutions to
meet the individual needs of vulnerable groups. Anticipation of an ageing population
and low demand for livin’s one bedroom bungalows, and sheltered housing schemes
in livin’s communities, highlights the requirement for livin to review its current
provision of housing stock for older persons.
There may be potential opportunities for housing providers to support older
households to downsize thus releasing a supply of larger family homes for other
household groups. This is especially important in smaller rural villages such as
Byers Green where there are limited numbers of larger sized social housing
properties.
The current economic climate and an increasing awareness surrounding the benefits
of installing energy efficient measures within homes may over the coming years
begin to influence the level of demand for livin’s properties. This will require livin to
investigate the potential benefits of installing a range of energy efficiency measures
within its current properties and any future developments.
Key Future Demand Characteristics:
An ageing population, and fall in the number of persons economically active by
2026 will place an increased demand on fiscal, housing and health
provisions.
By 2030 the County is expected to see:
single person households increase by 100.3%
two person households increase by only 18%
three person households or more decrease by 26.9%
The majority of older persons will want to remain in their own homes through their senior years. This will place an increased demand on mainstream and social housing.
Increased future demand is expected for support services for vulnerable groups, and a need for bespoke housing solutions or specialist housing projects for persons aged 75 years or more. It is important that livin’s housing stock is able to meet the future demands of an ageing population.
.
30
During 2009/2010, livin’s average repair cost per property in Byers Green was
£644.49, during 2010/2011 this average reduced to £607.79 per property.
In addition to helping reduce the consumption of energy in livin’s homes these
measures may also see cost saving benefits for tenants through reduced energy
bills.
1.2.7 Average cost of Repairs to livin properties
The repair and maintenance of livin’s properties is essential to ensure that they
remain in excellent condition and to the high standards expected by tenants. Byers
Green has been awarded a ranking of SILVER for average repair costs per property
during 2009/10 when compared to other livin communities. Full details of the
methodology used for this ranking can be found in Appendix 2.
During 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 livin, together with it’s repairs and
maintenance partner Mears, completed 325 repairs (including gas safety) to
properties in Byers Green. 33% of these repairs were emergency repairs which
required immediate attention.
The average repair cost (including gas safety) per property across all of livin’s 19
communities for the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 was £604.36.
During 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, the number of completed repairs (including
gas safety) to livin properties in Byers Green decreased to 265. 31% of these
repairs were emergency repairs which required immediate attention.
1.2.8 Average cost of Improvement Programmes for livin properties
Over the next few years, and as part of promises to tenants, livin is investing over
£100 million in a rolling programme of modernisation and improvements to the
properties that it owns.
The modernisation and improvement programme that livin is carrying out on its
properties is to a much higher standard of works than that of the Government's
Decent Homes Standard.
The improvements that livin are completing include:
New Kitchens
New Bathrooms
Central Heating Replacement
Electrical Works
Internal and External Door Replacement
Roofing works
During a programme of works not all of livin’s properties will receive all of the above
improvements at the same time.
31
During 2010/2011, livin improved 31 of its properties in Byers Green at an average
cost of £9,118.32 per property.
There are a number of factors that determine which improvement works are
completed at a property during forthcoming programmes in each community. For
example some properties may only receive new internal and external doors, whereas
other may be due new internal and external doors plus a replacement of the kitchen
and bathroom.
A number of improvement programmes have already been completed in Byers
Green with internal modernisations and improvements made to 31 properties located
at Wear View and High Street during the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011. The
majority of these properties received a new kitchen and bathroom, internal and
external doors, and a full electrical rewire.
During 2012/2013 livin expects to carry out internal improvements to a further 29 of
its properties in Byers Green at an expected cost of £7,650 per property.
What does this mean for livin?
The community has a reasonable repair cost per property resulting in a ranking of
SILVER. However over one third of the repairs required to livin properties in the
community during 2009/2010 and 2010/11 were emergencies. Investigation into the
causes of these repairs may be considered in an attempt to minimise the amount of
emergency repairs required within our properties.
It should be noted that during 2010/2011 livin conducted a number of improvement
programmes within Byers Green resulting in 31 of its properties receiving a new
kitchen, bathroom, internal/external doors, and a full electrical rewire. It is expected
that as a result of this improvement programme there will be a reduction in the repair
costs for these properties during the coming years.
32
During December 2010 to June 2011 the level of crime within Middlestone Ward,
Byers Green and Kirk Merrington was “Average”.
1.3 Crime and Antisocial Behaviour
The village of Byers Green is located in the Police Beat area of Middlestone Ward,
Byers Green and Kirk Merrington. The nearest staffed Police station is located in the
neighbouring town of Spennymoor.
Figure 1.13: Middlestone Ward, Byers Green and Kirk Merrington Police Beat Area Source: Police.uk
From the 1 December 2010 to 30 June 2011 Durham Constabulary reported the
level of crime and disorder within the Middlestone Ward to be “Average” when
compared to the rest of the Police Beat Wards within the rest of England and Wales.
During this period there were a total of 27 reported incidents of crime and antisocial
behaviour in Byers Green (Police.uk, 2011). Of this total 81.5% were in relation to
antisocial behaviour, 14.8% were in relation to “other” crimes (including criminal
damage, shoplifting and drugs) and 3.7% were in relation to vehicle crime.
livin’s Support and Intervention Team received 1 complaint of antisocial behaviour
occurring within Byers Green during the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.
33
Figure 1.14: Reported Police incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour in Middlestone Ward during December 2010 to June 2011 Source: Police.uk, 2011
Durham Constabulary’s reported crime figures closely
mirrors the issues raised by residents during livin’s
consultation events. Local residents highlighted
issues relating to problems caused by young people
drinking alcohol in public areas. This is reflected in
Durham Constabulary’s reported crime data which
indicates that antisocial behaviour equates to 81.5% of
all reported incidents to the Police during December
2010 to June 2011.
Recent consultation completed by DCC (Residents Survey, 2010) highlighted that
within the Spennymoor AAP area (including Byers Green) 2% of residents feel
unsafe in their local communities during the day. The AAP’s with the highest fear of
safety during the daytime were Bishop Auckland and Shildon, and 4Together, both
with a percentage of 3%. 12% of Spennymoor AAP residents stated they felt unsafe
in their local area during the evening, this being the 5th highest out of all of the
County’s 14 AAP’s. The AAP with the highest fear of safety during the evening was
Bishop Auckland and Shildon with 15%. Countywide, 42% of residents completing
the survey indicated the main reason for feeling unsafe in their local community is
due to youths congregating on the street.
During livin’s consultation event there was an issue raised by residents about youths
drinking in public places, specifically around the local play areas. The local Police
Beat Team also highlighted reports of youths drinking as a frequent complaint.
Residents feel that the village lacks recreational facilities and activities for children
and young persons, and that existing facilities need improvement.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Dec-10 Jan-11 Feb-11 Mar-11 Apr-11 May-11 Jun-11
Nu
mb
er
of
Rep
ort
ed
In
cid
en
ts
Burglary
Antisocial Behaviour
Robbery
Vehicle Crime
Violent Crime
Other
“Reports of youths
drinking on the playing
field”
Police Beat Team
34
Information gained from the Youth Forum conducted in June 2011 found issues
around crime and antisocial behaviour in their local community to be of significant
importance to them.
Some of the children from Byers Green that attended the Forum highlighted that they
do not use the play facilities within the village due to damage and graffiti to play
equipment, and intimidation from older youths “hanging” around the area.
High levels of antisocial behaviour or nuisance caused by young persons can often
suggest a need for an enhanced programme of diversionary activities (e.g. sporting
events or activities, play or craft activities and youth clubs) within the local area.
Research has proven that the provision of diversionary activities that have been
developed in conjunction with young persons living in the targeted area can have a
positive effect on lowering levels of antisocial and nuisance behaviour.
Many residents expressed concerns about incidents of vehicles speeding through
the village and in areas surrounding the local primary school.
There was also a fear from residents that ongoing budget cuts and reductions being
imposed by local Police Authorities would see the removal of the local Police Beat
Officers from the community. Currently Durham Constabularly provide a dedicated
Police Beat Team that carry out high visability patrols throughout their local
communities with the aim of dettering crime and antisocial behaviour.
Key Crime and Antisocial Behaviour Characteristics:
For the period 1 December 2010 to 30 June 2011 the level of crime and disorder
within the Middlestone Ward is considered by the Police to be “Average” when
compared to the rest of England and Wales.
During the same period there were 27 reported Police incidents of crime and
antisocial behaviour in Byers Green.
81.5% of reported incidents were in respect of antisocial behaviour
14.8% of incidents related to other crimes, such as criminal damage,
shoplifting and drugs
3.7% of incidents related to vehicle crime
During the period 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011, livin’s Support and
Intervention Team received 1 complaint of antisocial behaviour.
Consultation found local residents are concerned about youths drinking in
public areas, and vehicles speeding through the Village and in the area
surrounding the local primary school.
A recent survey found that 12% of residents living in the Spennymoor AAP area
feel unsafe in their communities during the evening and 2% during the day.
35
What does this mean for livin?
It is important that livin maintains its commitment to providing a robust and
responsive service for dealing with incidents of nuisance and antisocial behaviour in
local communities.
livin is aware that partnership working is essential when addressing and dealing with
crime and antisocial behaviour in its communities. As such livin will continue to
actively work with local residents and community groups, the Police, DCC and other
agencies through the attendance of staff members at PACT meetings, Residents
meetings and other local events to promote it services and offer help and support to
victims of nuisance or antisocial behaviour.
livin is already a contributing partner to the Safe Durham Partnership and plays an
important role in supporting the partnership to help people feel safer within their local
communities.
36
1.4 Economy and Employment
1.4.1 Economic Activity
“Economic activity relates to persons aged 16 to 74 years who are in employment, or
actively seeking employment and are available to start work within 2 weeks.”
(Census, 2001)
Of this total economic activity 44.4% were in full time employment; this being
substantially higher than the County average of 38.5%. 10.4% were in part time
employment and 6.6% of persons were self-employed. It is acknowledged that as a
result of the current economic climate the level of economic activity within the
community may have changed since this data was collated in 2001.
The 2007 Indices of Deprivation indicates that in relation to employment, 39.6% of
residents living in the Spennymoor AAP area (including Byers Green) are deemed to
be in the top 10% nationally deprived (Communities and Local Government (CLG),
2007). This is higher than the Durham County average where 32.2% of residents
are deemed to be in the top 10% nationally deprived.
Figure 1.15: Economic Activity in Byers Green
Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS09A, 005A
During the period 2006 to 2008, the Spennymoor AAP area was home to 4.1% of
businesses that were operating within Durham County. 81.4% of these businesses
employed less than 10 employees, whilst 18.5% employed 11 or more employees
(Annual Business Inquiry, 2008).
10.4
44.4
6.6 3.6
1.5 10.7
38.5
5.4 3.7 1.8 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
EmployeesPart time
EmployeesFull time
SelfEmployed
Unemployed Full timeStudent
%
Byers Green
Durham County
During 2001 economic activity within Byers Green was 66.5%; substantially
higher than the County average of 60.1%.
(Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS09A, 005A)
37
The largest industrial estate within the local area is located at Meadowfield, with
smaller estates located at Willington, Bowburn, Chilton and Spennymoor. However,
development is currently under way at DurhamGate in Spennymoor, a large mixed-
used regeneration scheme which will incorporate
business, living and leisure.
Residents have highlighted a need for more local
services and shops within the village to provide
more opportunities for employment for local
residents. During consultation livin has found a lack
of local employment and the requirement for
residents to travel out of the area to gain
sustainable employment to be a major concern in many of its communities,
especially for those in semi-rural areas. This necessity to travel is currently being
hampered by rising fuel costs and the affordability of car ownership; together with an
increased reliance on what is seen by residents to be a restrictive public transport
service to surrounding areas. The proposed retail and commercial developments at
the DurhamGate site at Spennymoor and the Hitachi factory in Newton Aycliffe will
hopefully help to boost economic activity and employment opportunities for local
residents.
The importance of sustainable employment and enhanced job prospects within the
local area was acknowledged at Spennymoor AAP’s Forum Event in November 2010
where forum members voted these issues as one of the top three priorities for the
AAP. As a result “Employment and Job Prospects” is a Spennymoor AAP priority for
2011/12 and will be incorporated into its two other priorities of “Provision for Children
and Teenagers” and “Town Centre Regeneration”.
Census data indicates that residents within Byers Green are employed in a wide
range of different occupations (Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS12A, 005A).
There are a higher percentage of residents in Byers Green employed in Process;
plant and machine (14.9%) occupations and skilled trades (13.8%) when compared
to the Durham County averages. The percentage of residents employed in
managerial roles (13.4%) is also higher than the County average.
There are a slightly lower percentage of residents employed in elementary (e.g.
labourers, kitchen assistants, bar staff, farm labourers) occupations (13.4%) when
compared to the County average of 13.7%.
The community has a high percentage of persons employed as plant and
machine operators or in skilled trades when compared to the rest of Durham
County.
(Source: Census, 2001)
“Need more shops and
business in the village to
create local jobs”
Resident from Byers Green
38
There are a comparable percentage of residents in the community employed as
professionals, such as Doctors and Dentists (9.3%) when compared to the rest of the
County (9.4%). The level of employment within these occupations reflects the high
percentage of residents in the community who hold educational qualifications at
levels 3 to 5 (section 1.7). Level 3 qualifications are necessary for progression to
higher education or University. Qualifications at levels 4 to 5 are equivalent to
degree or professional level.
During consultation there were no specific concerns expressed by local residents
about the availability of training and skills courses for those not in employment.
However, 2001 census data highlighted that the majority of residents within this
community were employed within the plant and machine processing industry. Over
the past ten years this type of industry has been one of the hardest hit resulting in
many large scale local employers, including Black and Decker, Flymo, Thorn and
Electrolux relocating or ceasing to trade.
The reduction in local job opportunities within this industry together with the
percentage of residents that hold no educational qualifications indicates a need for
increased provision of skills and training courses. This can help local residents to
retrain or gain new qualifications, skills and experience thus assisting them into long
term employment.
Figure 1.16: Occupation profile of 16 to 74 year olds in Byers Green Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS12A, 005A
13.4
9.3
12.1 11.4
13.8
6.3 5.5
14.9
13.4
13.7
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
%
Byers Green
DurhamCounty
39
During March 2011 the
percentage of residents in the
Middlestone Ward (including
Byers Green) that were claiming
Jobseekers Allowance for up to
12 months was higher than the
County average.
(DWP, 2011)
Economic inactivity was lower than the County Durham average with a total of 33.4%
of the population not employed, and not actively seeking work. There were a higher
percentage of residents who were unable to work due to being permanently sick
and/or disabled in comparison to the rest of the County.
“Economic inactivity relates to persons aged 16 to 74 years who are not in employment, or not actively seeking employment and available to start work within 2 weeks.” (Census, 2001)
Figure 1.17: Economic inactivity in Byers Green Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS09A, 005A
Analysis of Department for Works and
Pensions (DWP) data from March 2011
highlights that the Middlestone Ward (including
Byers Green and Kirk Merrington) had a higher
percentage of persons claiming Jobseekers
Allowance for up to 6 months (77.8%) when
compared to the Durham County average
(73.5%). Data collection limitations do not
allow for this information to be obtained for
Byers Green alone.
Longer term unemployment within Byers Green was also higher than both County
and National averages. 19% of residents have been claiming Jobseekers Allowance
for a period of 6 to 12 months when compared to 18% throughout the County and
17.3% at National level.
The high percentage of residents claiming Jobseekers Allowance for a period of 6 to
12 months has resulted in the community being ranked as BRONZE. Full details of
the methodology for this ranking can be found in Appendix 2. It is important to note
that the data used to compile this ranking relates to the Middlestone Ward; not
11.7
2.3
4.7
11.0
3.7
14.2 5.1 6.3 10.3 3.3 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Retired Student Looking afterhome/family
Permanentlysick/disabled
Other
%
Byers Green
DurhamCounty
40
There is a need to
support and help
residents aged
between 16 to 24 and
50+ into employment.
Byers Green alone. Full details of the methodology for this ranking can be found in
Appendix 2.
However the percentage of residents claiming Jobseekers Allowance for 12 months
or more (3.2%) is lower when compared to the County (8.4%) and national averages
(14.2%). This indicated that lower numbers of persons within Middlestone Ward are
claiming Jobseekers Allowance for more than 12 months when compared to the
Durham County and national averages.
Sustainable communities require high levels of economic activity; this can be
facilitated by a high percentage of the resident population being employed or actively
seeking work. Although long term unemployment (12 months or more) is low when
compared to County and national levels, it is important that local service providers
work in partnership to proactively identify and minimise the barriers to employment
experienced by local residents who have become unemployed within the last 12
months.
1.4.2 Jobseekers Allowance Claimants
During August 2010, there was a diverse age range of
persons that were unemployed and claiming
Jobseekers Allowance in the community of Byers Green
(DWP, 2010).
Figure 1.18: Jobseekers Allowance claimants in Byers Green Source: DWP, August 2010
20% of residents claiming Jobseekers Allowance were aged 50 years and over; this
being higher than the County average of 14%. The percentage of persons aged 16
to 24 years claiming Jobseekers Allowance (40%) was also higher than the County
average of 34%.
40 40
20
34
52
14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Claimants Aged 16-24
Claimants Aged 25-49
Claimants Aged 50and Over
%
Byers Green
Durham County
41
During 2001 the weekly
household income in
Middlestone Ward
(including Byers Green)
was £20 more than the
North East average.
The percentage of residents that were claiming Jobseekers Allowance aged between
25 to 49 years was 40%; this being substantially lower than the Durham County
average of 52%.
The percentage of residents aged 16 to 24 years and 50 years or more that were
claiming Jobseekers Allowance was higher than the County average. This highlights
a clear need for service providers to target these age groups when delivering future
skills and training courses. It is important that the provision of any skills and training
courses will help the individual meet their training needs and future aspirations to
gain long term employment.
1.4.3 Department for Works and Pensions Key Benefit Claimants
During August 2009, an average of 18% of residents in Byers Green, were claiming
a key DWP benefit. Of this total, 9% were claiming Incapacity Benefit as a result of a
disability or illness, compared to 11% in Durham County and 10% nationally. These
figures are comparative with the intelligence contained in section 1.6 which indicates
that the general health of the population within Byers Green is better when compared
to the rest of Durham County.
Figure 1.19: Breakdown of persons residing in Byers Green claiming key DWP benefits Source: DWP, August 2009
1.4.4 Household Income
During 2001/02 estimates of the mean gross weekly
household income in the Middlestone Ward (including
Byers Green and Kirk Merrington) was £20 per week
more than the North East average of £410 (ONS,
2005).
5
9
2
2 0 0 0 0
Job Seekers
Incapacity Benefits
Lone Parent
Carer
Others Income RelatedBenefits
Disabled
Bereaved
Unknown
42
Data collection limitations have restricted further detailed analysis of this information
to Byers Green only.
Based on this intelligence the community has been ranked as GOLD for average
household income. It is important to note that the data used to compile this ranking
relates to the Middlestone Ward, not Byers Green alone. Full details of the
methodology for this ranking can be found in Appendix 2.
1.4.5 Vehicle Ownership and Cost of Travel
In 2001, 20.8% of households in Byers Green did not own a car or van; this being
significantly lower than the County average of 31.4%. The remaining 79.2% of
households owned one or more cars or vans (Census, 2001, LLSOA KS17, 005A).
Although levels of vehicle ownership may have changed since 2001, the rising cost
of fuel and other vehicle related costs will now have a significant impact on vehicle
usage, particularly amongst low income households. Low levels of vehicle
ownership and the cost of fuel, together with a restrictive public transport service can
affect residents’ lifestyles by restricting their access to services and facilities outside
of the local area.
Throughout livin’s consultation process a number of residents expressed their
concerns about the ever increasing need to travel outside of the local area for
access to supermarkets, employment and specialist services such as further
education colleges and healthcare. This reliance on travel outside of the local area
places an increased need on a reliable public transport system. There are fears
from residents that the ongoing budgetary reductions to rural transport services by
DCC will see local transport services further reduce and their cost increase, resulting
in many residents becoming more isolated and detached from accessing specialist
services and sustainable employment.
43
1.4.6 Rental Debit in livin properties
To assess the rent payments made by tenants within livin properties in Byers Green
an analysis and comparison of livin’s rental debit figures for 2009/10 and 2010/11
have been used.
For the financial year 2009/10, the total rental debit charge (rent charged for all of
livin’s properties in Byers Green) was £242,818. At the end of this financial year
there were outstanding arrears (unpaid rent) of £4,320; making an unpaid rental
debit charge of 1.78%.
For the financial year 2010/11 the total rental debit charge was £249,112. At the end
of this financial year there were outstanding arrears of £2,583; making an unpaid
rental debit charge of 1.04%.
Based on the unpaid rental debit charge of 1.04% for the financial year 2010/11,
Byers Green has been ranked as SILVER. Full details of the methodology for this
ranking can be found in Appendix 2.
Key Economic characteristics:
During 2001/02 the weekly household income estimate was £20 more than the
North East average of £410.00.
During 2001, economic activity within the community was 66.6%; higher than
the Durham County average.
33.4% of residents in 2001 were not in employment, and not actively seeking
work. 11.0% of residents were economically inactive due to being permanently
sick or disabled.
In 2001, over 42.1% of residents in Byers Green were employed in elementary,
process, plant and machinery roles, or in skilled trades. 34.0% of residents
were employed in professional or management roles.
During March 2011, the percentage of residents claiming Jobseekers
Allowance for up to 12 months was higher than the County average.
The percentage of residents aged 16 to 24 years and 50 years or more
claiming jobseekers allowance is higher when compared to the County
average
Restricted access to private and public transport can have a detrimental
effect on economic activity within a community.
44
By the end of the financial year 2010/11 livin reduced its outstanding rental debit
figure (unpaid rent) to 1.04%; a total of £1,737.
Since 2009, livin have introduced and promoted a number of different payment
options to make paying rent as easy and accessible as possible for tenants. These
include Direct Debit or the option to pay rent via payment card. Payment cards can
be accepted at over 60 local outlets (including Post Offices) wherever the “Paypoint”
sign is displayed.
Although there were no specific comments made by residents during consultation
events livin is aware that the rising level of housing costs and the current economic
climate is increasing the level of debt for low income households and many
community members.
Although livin will aim to reduce the outstanding rental debit year on year the current
economic climate and future reforms to the Welfare Benefit system will provide for
challenging times. These challenges will require livin to work proactively with
tenants and other household members by providing a dedicated Financial Inclusion
Team to provide guidance or sign posting about money and debt management.
What does this mean for livin?
livin must be aware of the contribution made by partners in supporting residents and
tenants to gain employment and skills, and increase their economic wellbeing. It
must support local community organisations that offer these services by ensuring
their resources are fully utilised by local residents and that their existence is widely
publicised throughout the local area.
Consultation has found there to be an identified need for an increased provision of
skills and training courses that can help more local residents attain new skills and
qualifications for employment. It is evident from the analysis that any employability
work undertaken by livin within the community must help reduce the number of
persons claiming Jobseekers Allowance. There should be extra emphasis placed on
residents aged between 16 to 24 years, and those aged 50 or more that are claiming
Jobseekers Allowance.
The effects of the recession and current economic downturn are being felt by a large
number of households within livin’s local communities. As a result livin must be
mindful that it tenants and local residents will potentially need support through these
financial difficulties. This could mean signposting tenants and residents to debt
management and financial inclusion support agencies.
livin needs to understand the barriers to employment experienced by residents and
tenants and assess the level of support it can offer.
45
During consultation events residents were apprehensive about recent financial cut
backs to the village’s local bus services and the effect this is having on access to
services, education and employment. This reduction in services together with the
increasing cost of vehicle ownership has the potential to make travelling to work a
major barrier to employment within Byers Green.
46
Byers Green is a rural village with limited services and amenities.
1.5 Access to Services and Facilities
There is a local GP surgery located at Green Rise in the village. Access to a
pharmacy and other specialist healthcare, including Dentistry can be found in the
surrounding settlements of Ferryhill, Spennymoor
and Bishop Auckland.
Retail services within the village are very limited.
There is a public house serving meals to local
residents and visitors but no local shops or
convenience stores. To obtain grocery shopping,
or for more specialised goods and services
residents are required to travel out of the village to
neighbouring Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland,
Ferryhill or Newton Aycliffe. Many residents are
concerned about the lack of amenities within the village, particularly for shopping,
and activities for children and young persons.
There is a Village Hall located within Byers Green which is well utilised by a number
of local groups and clubs for youth and health and social related activities.
Residents feel that the Village Hall provides an essential role in bringing together
local residents and helps to improve community cohesion. The village also hosts an
annual Carnival and fun day which aims to bring members of the community together
in fun activities whilst promoting community cohesion.
Although there is no resident library within the village, DCC provides a fortnightly
mobile library that can be utilised by residents. The village also has a mobile Post
office providing an important service to local
residents.
There is no broadband internet connection in
Byers Green. This is causing problems for local
children who require access to the internet to
complete their schoolwork. Restricted access to
the internet can deter potential new residents from
moving into the village if they require access to the
internet for employment. It can also deter existing
residents from exploring the options of self-
employment or home working if broadband internet
access is required. Internet access for Byers Green primary school is provided
through Durham County Council.
“There are no shops in the
village so residents have
to travel for groceries.”
Resident from Byers Green
“It’s hard to do homework
for school as the village
does not have broadband
internet connection.”
Young resident from Byers
Green
47
Bishop Auckland College provides a number of vocational qualifications and access
to skills and practical based training for local residents at their outreach learning
centre at nearby Spennymoor. The Centre provides a number of full and part time
courses for school leavers and adults. It also hosts a number of employability
courses which aim to help and support local residents to gain new skills to help them
find employment. Access to other local colleges at nearby Bishop Auckland,
Durham and Darlington all require access to
transport.
There are no livin affiliated Residents’ Groups
within Byers Green. Information indicates that
past attempts have been made to form a
Neighbourhood Watch and Residents’
Association within the village but these have
failed due low interest levels from residents.
The Church of St Peter the Apostle and a
Methodist Church are both located within the village offering regular worship and
community events throughout the year.
During the Youth Forum there were a number of key issues raised by youths
including the need for enhanced play facilities in their local areas, accessible after
school and weekend activities, and problems with dog fouling, graffiti and litter in
public areas. These issues were common throughout the communities of
Spennymoor, Kirk Merrington, Byers Green and Middlestone Moor.
52% of the youths that attended the event stated they would like more designated
play areas within their local area. There were comments about poorly maintained
equipment in play parks and dog fouling on playing fields and areas surrounding play
facilities. Some of the younger Forum members
said they sometimes feel intimidated by older
teenagers using the play areas as a place to “hang
out” on an evening and weekend. The youths also
indicated that they would like to see an increased
provision of arranged after school and weekend
activities in their local areas. The types of activities
identified were mainly health and fitness related
(i.e. dance and sports clubs) together with the
provision of more youth based activities at local leisure centres.
Although there are a number of youth based activities in the Spennymoor area,
these are restricted within Byers Green resulting in a requirement for youths to travel
out of the village to access after school and weekend activities.
There is a Village Green and two dedicated play areas within Byers Green. There is
a small play area at Hagg Road for which Spennymoor Town Council is currently
“Local play areas, the
village football pitch and
sports Pavilion need
renovating.”
Resident from Byers Green
“The playing field has dog
faeces on it and isn’t nice
to play on.”
Young resident from Byers
Green
48
proposing plans to upgrade and improve. There is a football pitch and sports
Pavilion located at North Street. However this is underutilised as a result of the
Pavilion being damaged and unfit for purpose, and the football pitch being unsuitable
for use due to litter and dog faeces. There are no other recreational or sporting
facilities within the village.
During a Spennymoor AAP Forum event held in
November 2010 the provision of activities for
children and teenagers was again rated one of the
top three priorities for the local AAP area by forum
members. The “Provision for children and
teenagers” will continue as one of the AAP’s
priorities for 2011/12.
Spennymoor Town Council own a number of
allotment sites within Byers Green which can be used to grow fresh vegetables, fruit
and flowers. Although livin own a number of garden sites in surrounding towns and
villages there are none located within Byers Green.
A recent survey of residents living within the Spennymoor AAP (including Byers
Green) area indicated that 85% were satisfied with public transport; this being one of
the highest levels of satisfaction throughout the County (DCC, 2010). However
during consultation there were clear concerns from residents about the provision of
public transport in and around Byers Green.
Residents highlighted concerns about the reliability, cost and restrictions of the
current public transport service and its necessity for providing essential access for
many residents to shopping, employment and education. In addition the rising costs
of fuel and vehicle ownership will continue to place an increased need on a reliable
and regular public transport system that serves the needs of the community as a
whole.
“Cost of travelling on
buses is very high – need
public transport to get our
shopping.”
Resident from Byers Green
49
What does this mean for livin?
livin needs to be aware of the positive impact that local services and service
providers have on sustaining local communities.
A reduced bus service within the village will not only increase the barriers to
employment experienced by livin tenants and local residents but will also restrict vital
access to supermarkets, education, sporting facilities and healthcare.
Youth based activities within the village are limited, resulting in the requirement for
youths to travel out of the area to access after school and weekend activities. Within
any community there should be a good provision of youth based activities that will
actively encourage engagement and participation in health and social related
activities.
livin must understand the pressures that local communities are under as a result of
service cuts, and work in partnership with organisations such as DCC to ensure that
the effects of any service reductions are minimal and that tenants, residents and
service providers are aware of their implications.
Key Services Characteristics:
The community has limited access to public healthcare and no access to
shops or supermarkets.
Residents have highlighted an essential need for travel out of the area for
shopping, specialised goods or services, employment, and education.
There is a Village Hall which is utilised by a number of local groups.
The village has a small play park and playing field with sports Pavilion. These
are the only sporting and recreational facilities within the village and are
underutilised.
Satisfaction with public transport services in the area is poor with many
residents feeling that the current provision is expensive and restrictive for their
needs.
Residents are concerned that public sector spending cuts will further reduce
essential transport links with surrounding villages and towns.
There is no broadband internet connection in the community.
50
During 2001, the number of
persons in “Not Good”
health in Byers Green was
2.4% less than the County
average.
1.6 Health and Well Being
The general level of health in Byers Green is
notably better than that of the County as a whole
(Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS08, 005A). The total
percentage of persons in “Good” general health is
3.7% higher than the County average. The
percentage of residents who indicated that they
were in “Not Good” general health is 2.4% less when compared to the County
average.
2001 Census data indicates that 19.7% of persons of working age suffer from a
limiting long term illness (Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS08, 005A). This is marginally
lower than the County average of 19.8%.
“A limiting long-term illness covers any long-term illness, health problem or disability that limits daily activities or work. Working age is defined as persons aged between 16 to 64 years inclusive for men and 16 to 59 years inclusive for women.” (Census 2001)
The 2007 Indices of Deprivation indicates that in relation to Health, 39.6% of
residents living in the Spennymoor AAP area (including Byers Green) are deemed to
be in the top 10% nationally deprived (CLG, 2007). This is higher than the Durham
County average where 35.7% of residents are deemed to be in the top 10%
nationally deprived. It is important to note that this data relates to all areas within
Spennymoor AAP, not Byers Green alone.
Figure 1.20: Levels of Health within Byers Green Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS08, 005A
66.3
22.9
10.8
62.6
24.2
13.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
General Health:Good
General health:Fairly good
General health: Notgood
%
Byers Green
Durham County
51
To access sporting facilities residents are required to travel outside of the village to
DCC leisure centres at nearby Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland and Newton Aycliffe.
DCC’s leisure centre at Ferryhill is facing possible closure by the end of 2011.
Spennymoor leisure centre provides a wide range of sporting activities for all age
groups and abilities. Activities provided at the centre include swimming, boxing,
fitness centre and exercise classes. Costs relating to travel and the use of these
facilities could prove unaffordable for some members of the community thus
restricting access to health based activities.
Although the village has a local football pitch and sports pavilion these are currently
in a poor state of repair and therefore underutilised by both local residents and Byers
Green football team. There are complaints of vandalism and damage to the pavilion
and litter and dog faeces present on the football pitch making the area unsuitable for
recreational activities.
What does this mean for livin?
There has been a long established connection between health and housing. As a
result of the Government’s Health Reform proposals a stronger role will emerge for
livin to act in partnership with local health providers to improve the health and
wellbeing of our tenants and their families. As a “frontline” service provider livin has
privileged access to tenants and their families; providing the potential for signposting
to health related services. Good levels of health can have positive effects on
educational achievement and help promote employment within a community.
Although levels of health within Byers Green are better than the County average it is
important that livin utilises involvement and interaction with our tenants and their
families to maintain and further enhance this current level of health. There are a
number of projects that livin could support that will link into the preventative health
agenda; making it critical that livin engages and works in partnership with other local
health based stakeholders to ensure maximum use of resources.
Key Health Characteristics:
During 2001, general levels of health in the community were better when
compared to the County average.
19.7% of “working age” residents are suffering from a limiting long term
illness.
Residents are required to travel for access to leisure facilities. Increased
costs associated with travel may result in access to leisure facilities becoming
unaffordable for some local households.
Residents would like to see the provision of more health based activities and
activities for children and young people within the village.
52
2001 census data indicates
that 14.8% of residents have
attained qualifications to
degree or professional levels.
1.7 Education and Training
Levels of educational attainment for residents
are higher within Byers Green when compared
to the Durham County average (Census, 2001,
LLSOA, KS13, 005A).
2001 Census data indicates that 34.2% of the population in the area have no formal
qualifications.
The percentages of residents attaining level 1 (17.6%) and level 2 (21%)
qualifications are higher when compared to the County averages. Level 1
qualifications include 1+'O' level passes; 1+ CSE/GCSE any grades; NVQ level 1; or
Foundation level GNVQ. Level 2 qualifications include 5+GCSEs (grades A-C); 1+
'A' levels/'AS' levels; NVQ level 2; or Intermediate GNVQ.
Figure 1.21: Educational attainment within Byers Green Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS13, 005A
6.1% of residents hold qualifications at level 3; this being lower than the County
average of 7.4%. Level 3 qualifications are necessary for advancement into
University, higher education or professional qualifications and include 2+ 'A' levels;
4+ 'AS' levels; NVQ level 3; or an Advanced GNVQ.
However, there are a marginally higher percentage of residents (14.8%) that hold
qualifications at levels 4/5 when compared to the County average (14.5%).
34.2
17.6 21.0
6.1
14.8
6.3
36.0
17.0 18.1
7.4
14.5
7.1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
%
Byers Green
Durham County
53
A level 4/5 qualification is equivalent to a First Degree, Higher Degree, NVQ levels 4
and 5, HNC, HND, or professional qualifications including qualified teacher, medical
doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife, or health visitor. This high level of educational
attainment can be attributed to the high number of
residents employed in roles as Professionals,
Managers, or in Associate Professional and
Technical roles within the village.
Based on a high percentage of residents living
within the village attaining level 2 qualifications (5+
GCSEs A-C grades) the community has been
ranked as GOLD for educational attainment.
The 2007 Indices of Deprivation indicates that in
relation to Education, 10.3% of residents living in
the Spennymoor AAP area (including Byers Green) are deemed to be in the top 10%
nationally deprived (CLG, 2007). This is lower than the Durham County average
where 18.5% of residents are deemed to be in the top 10% nationally deprived.
Although Byers Green Primary School is located within the village residents require
access to transport to access preschool facilities, secondary schools and higher
education. Local secondary schools are located at Ferryhill, Sedgefield, Bishop
Auckland, Spennymoor and Newton Aycliffe. The nearest further education colleges
are located at Bishop Auckland, Darlington and Durham; all require access to public
or private transport.
Byers Green Primary school has an intake of children from Byers Green and the
surrounding area, including Binchester and Newfield. It is seen as an asset to the
Village, having a good reputation within the local area and a good OFSTED report.
The school building was rebuilt in 2008, and is now purpose built for facilitating the
provision of quality education at primary level. It is able to accommodate 105 pupils
and is currently under capacitated. There are no preschool facilities within the
school requiring local residents to travel to access preschool facilities at nearby
Willington, Spennymoor, Ferryhill etc. This absence has raised concerns of some
children attending preschool facilities outside of the area, and then continuing their
education at primary schools near to these facilities. Over the last few years this has
affected the number of new pupils attending the school. The primary school has a
“Friends of the School” group which actively organises fundraising and community
events for local residents in Byers Green. Money raised from these events is used
to purchase new equipment for the school. In conjunction with DCC the school
provides a number of adult learning courses, the majority of which are attended by
parents of children attending the school.
There is currently no broadband internet access to households in Byers Green. This
causes problems with the completion of homework and other education related
“It is difficult to travel to
school if you don’t have a
car – I have to use the bus
to get to school and
college”
Young resident from Byers
Green
54
activities for local children and young persons. Internet access is available at the
Primary School for pupils to use.
At the Youth Forum the attending children and young people indicated issues around
“Education and Training” to be of significant importance to them. Information gained
from youths living in the areas of Spennymoor, Middlestone Moor, Byers Green and
Kirk Merrington highlights the hopes of many to continue their education to degree or
professional level to enable them to become employed in professional or skilled roles
such as teachers, doctors, accountants, health professionals and veterinarians. It is
hoped that a requirement to travel out of the local area to access higher education,
and the rising costs of University fees do not restrict access into these professions.
As a high level of economic activity is essential for maintaining community
sustainability it is important that local service providers work in partnership to help
and encourage local youths to continue their education with the hope of gaining
sustainable employment.
The nearest further education colleges are located at Bishop Auckland, Darlington
and Durham with all requiring access to public or private transport. Bishop Auckland
College provides an outreach learning centre located at nearby Spennymoor. For
many residents access to further education and employment will require travel out of
the local area, this being hampered by the rising costs of vehicle ownership and what
is seen to be a restrictive public transport service.
The Local Learning Partnership (LLP) for Spennymoor, Byers Green and Kirk
Merrington is a partnership of local centres and learning providers which aims to
provide learning opportunities to residents within the local community. LLP offer a
range of non-accredited and accredited courses ranging from health and leisure to
employment related and arts courses in various community venues, including at
Byers Green.
There was concern from some residents about recent cuts to school transport
resulting in their being no provision for their children to travel to local “faith” schools
at Bishop Auckland. As a result parents must now provide their own transport
arrangements for their children using either public or private transport.
55
What does this mean for livin?
Education is a cornerstone of a sustainable community as it will promote financial
inclusion and help increase economic activity.
During 2001, a high percentage of residents within the village were educated to
Degree or Professional level. However residents are concerned that increasing
travel costs and an inadequate public transport service is restricting access to
education and training for many younger residents.
Although livin cannot play a direct role in the provision of education there may be
opportunities to link with local education providers such as Byers Green primary
schools, and other local schools and colleges to help increase educational
opportunities for tenants and local residents.
Key Education Characteristics:
In 2001, 34.2% of residents within the community held no formal educational
qualifications.
14.82% of residents within the community are educated to Degree or
Professional level.
There is good access to primary education. Byers Green primary school is
located in a modern purpose built facility within the village. The school has an
active “Friends of the School” group which provide community events for local
residents.
Bishop Auckland College’s outreach learning centre at Merrington Lane provides
access to practical and skilled trade training and qualifications.
Access to preschool and secondary education requires travel outside of the
community.
Access to other further and higher education colleges at Bishop Auckland,
Durham and Darlington require access to public or private transport.
In conjunction with DCC, there are a number of adult learning courses held at
Byers Green primary school.
Residents are concerned that the current public transport service within the
village is restricting access to education.
56
1.8 Reputation of the local area and community cohesion
To increase sustainability within an area it is
important that the community is seen as a good
place to live with a high level of community
cohesion. Feedback gained from the consultation
events indicates that the village is perceived by
local residents to be a pleasant place to live with a
good reputation.
Residents attending livin’s consultation events felt
that although the overall level of community
cohesion within the village is good, this could be increased with residents living in
newly built properties in the village. They believe the Community Centre and the
facilities and activities it provides are essential in maintaining community cohesion.
livin is aware that to increase the reputation of a community and enhance community
cohesion the involvement of local residents is imperative. To enable the success of
this Community Plan and the achievement of the Local Offer it is important that local
residents and community groups play an important role. The involvement of the
local community in delivering these Local Offers can help empower local residents to
make a difference in their local communities, and develop partnership working to
improve the overall reputation of the community and enhance community cohesion.
“The village has a good
reputation as a pleasant
place to live.”
Resident from Byers Green
57
1.9 Local Environment
The majority of environmental feedback received from residents during the
consultation events centred on concerns about dog fouling in public areas, the need
for traffic calming measures to deter motorists from speeding through the village, and
the need for improvements to local play areas.
Residents highlighted a particular need for traffic
calming measures around the local Primary School
and the Main Street.
The issue of dog fouling and the failing of owners to
remove faeces from areas was a common complaint.
Residents are particularly concerned about increased
incidents of dog fouling in public play areas,
particularly on the playing field, football pitch, and
around the children’s play area.
There is also a perceived need from residents for more external facilities for children
and young persons in the village. Although the village has a village green, football
pitch and small play area for younger children residents feel there to be a need for
these to be improved. There were specific concerns about the current condition of
the football pitch and Sports Pavilion due to damage, litter and dog faeces.
A number of residents also highlighted concerns about the appearance of the local
environment, as a result of damaged and poor fencing or boundary walls to
properties within the village.
On the 18 August 2011 an Environmental Assessment of the community was
conducted by members of livin’s Communities Team. The Assessment was
completed by assessing a number of environmental indicators at three designated
“stopping” points on a pre-determined route through the community. At the
designated stopping points a number of environmental indicators were assessed and
a number of points awarded.
During the assessment the community was found
to be clean and tidy. There was no or very little
evidence of litter, fly tipping or dog faeces in public
areas. The majority of properties within the vicinity
of the stopping points were well maintained with
tidy gardens. Only two propertied on North Street
were identified as having overgrown gardens.
There was evidence of an overgrown footpath on
High Street, and an overgrown public space area near Hill View. There was
evidence of parking issues in Wear View caused by a lack of available parking
facilities. The public highway around Hill View is in poor condition and the footpath
“Play areas need
improving for young
persons, especially
the football pitch”
Resident from Byers Green
“Speed limits need
reducing and traffic
calming measures need to
be introduced”
Resident from Byers Green
58
leading from Greenhills Estate to Byers Green Primary School was obstructed by an
overgrown hedge.
Based on the points awarded at the pre-determined stopping points, the community
scored a total average value of 33. As a result the overall condition of the
community has been ranked as GOLD. The full methodology relating to the
Environmental Assessment can be found in Appendix 2.
Figure 1.22: Route of Environmental Assessment
What does this mean for livin?
A high Environmental Assessment scoring and gold ranking is a good result for the
community. It means that the community does not require intensive support and
may only require targeted work in specific hotspots area.
However, it is important that livin ensure that future Environmental Assessments
within this community are conducted at appropriate intervals to ensure the
community is able to maintain this high ranking.
59
Based on the information and community feedback contained within this community
plan livin has been able to identify and assess a number of key strengths and
challenges that are being faced by residents living in the community of Byers Green.
To improve the levels of sustainability within this community it is important that key
strengths are maintained; together with conscientious efforts being made by livin,
other community stakeholders and local residents to address and reduce identified
challenges.
Taking into account these challenges livin has developed six key priorities for the
community:
The development of these key priorities and the creation of realistic Local Offers that
can be used by livin, community stakeholders and local residents to address and
achieve them will enable the maximisation of internal and external resources
available throughout the community.
Maintain a partnership approach to reduce incidents of low level crime and help
influence residents’ concerns of vehicles speeding through the village.
Maintain and enhance levels of engagement and the provision of activities for
children and young persons.
Develop a partnership approach to reducing barriers to work and increasing
employment opportunities for local residents, especially those aged 16 to 24
and 50+.
Help to influence and maintain services that benefit the needs of local residents
and the community as a whole (including transport, play facilities and internet
access).
Develop a partnership approach to develop health based initiatives to help
residents adopt healthier lifestyles and improve health levels.
Assist with targeted environmental improvements to “hotspot” areas in the
village.
Section 2 Community Priorities
60
The original actions contained within this Community Plan were revised in March
2013.
Based on what livin has learnt from your community, and our work with local partners
we have now developed a set of Local Offers for Byers Green. The Local Offers
have taken into account the original actions from the community plan and the views
of the community obtained through consultation, leading to a new set of standards
and actions aimed at supporting and benefiting your area. Delivery of the Local
Offers will be monitored by livin tenants.
A copy of livin’s Local Offers for Byers Green can be found on our website at
www.livin.co.uk.
This main Community Plan will be revised in 2014.
Section 3 Review of the Community Plan
61
APPENDIX 1
livin STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
&
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
62
livin Strategic Framework
livin’s role as a Registered Provider of social housing extends beyond managing
houses. This has been identified within livin’s Corporate Plan for 2011 – 2014 which
highlights the importance of improving the economic viability of local communities,
followed by social factors such as health and education, and enhancing the local
environment.
As such livin is focused on supporting the development of sustainable communities
for the current and future generation of residents. This is articulated through the
Company’s vision, mission and personality which are;
Mission “working with the community at heart”
Vision “sustaining and growing safe, cohesive and vibrant communities through
excellent customer services”
Personality “Caring, supportive, helpful and community orientated”
It is acknowledged that livin can play a key role in contributing to the delivery of
sustainable communities. By developing strong and coordinated partnership working
with residents and key stakeholders livin will develop:
Prosperous Communities - addressing economic viability of communities by
helping people to improve their financial circumstances, become less dependent
on benefits, positively address employability and increase financial confidence.
Healthy Communities – addressing social wellbeing, community cohesion and
health inequalities by improving health and wellbeing, secure access to further
opportunities and develop their aspirations.
Green Communities – addressing environmental quality and sustainability by
enhancing the setting of homes and promoting and supporting green initiatives in
communities.
During April 2011, livin introduced the “Your Voice, Local Choice”, Local Offer
document to ensure that “the right services are delivered in the right place for the
right people”. The Local Offer is a list of ten pledges that livin has made to tenants in
order to deliver key priorities. Full details of the pledges contained in livin’s Local
Offer can be found on the website at livin.co.uk or alternatively a copy can be
requested by contacting livin on 0845 505 5500 or 0300 111 2234 (low rate from a
mobile depending on network).
In addition to helping livin work towards sustaining and growing safe, cohesive, and
vibrant communities the Community Plans will play an important role in shaping and
63
articulating the Local Offer to tenants. They are the delivery mechanism for the
pledges contained within the Offer and will enable livin, community stakeholders and
local residents to tailor services and resources to the specific needs of each
individual community and enhance local service delivery. This relationship is
illustrated in the diagram below:
The development and implementation of the Community Plans represents a strategic
change in livin’s approach to supporting the sustainability of communities and will
help deliver the corporate improvement themes of “Customer Focussed Services”
and “Efficient Assets” by:
improving lives, neighbourhoods and communities
improving customer involvement and empowerment, and
increasing the sustainability of tenancies and homes
The Plans will be utilised to inform and enhance livin’s strategic planning and asset
management framework whilst helping to deliver customer and community focused
investment. They have an impact on all areas of service delivery, renewal and
regeneration, and have departmental cross cutting themes.
Local Offer
Established guiding principles
Locality 1
Byers Green
Kirk Merrington
Middlestone Moor
Spennymoor Town
Locality 2
Dean Bank
Ferryhill Village &
Cleves Cross
West Cornforth
Bishop Middleham
Chilton & Chilton Lane
Locality 3
Trimdon Village
Trimdon Grange
Trimdon Colliery
Fishburn
Sedgefield
Locality 4
Shildon
Middridge
Locality 5
Aycliffe Old Town
Aycliffe New Town
Aycliffe Village
Community Plan Strategy
64
Each Plan takes into account a whole spectrum of current national, regional and
local strategic agendas whilst retaining enough flexibility to address future emerging
policy and structural changes at all levels. They complement the Government’s
Localism Bill by facilitating and empowering local communities to improve local
services in their local area and careful consideration has also been given to relevant
housing strategies adopted by Durham County Council and the implications of the
Housing and Communities Agency (HCA) new role in regulating social landlords.
Tenant Services Authority Regulatory Requirements
The development and implementation of Community Plans also reflects livin’s
commitment to adhering to the Tenant Services Authority’s (TSA) current regulatory
regime. This regime requires livin to meet six separate service standards:
Tenant Involvement and Empowerment
Home
Tenancy
Neighbourhood and Community
Value for Money
Governance and Financial Viability
Comprehensive consultation to support each Plan will help livin to enhance customer
services and encourage local residents to become more responsible for local
services and the improvement of their communities thus addressing the Tenant
Involvement and Empowerment standard.
The Home standard will be addressed by assessing the current condition of the
current housing stock in each community to ensure that it is of high quality, well
maintained and suitable for demand.
It is crucial that the Tenancy standard be incorporated into the outcomes of the
Community Plan through the consideration and effective use of lettings policies, rent
management policies and the enhancement of tenancy sustainment.
As part of the Neighbourhood and Community standard livin is required to deliver on
three separate outcomes; local cooperation, antisocial behaviour and community
management. All of these will outcomes will be considered and addressed within the
outcomes of each Plan.
The Plans will also address the Value for Money standard by ensuring that livin
prioritise resources based on the actual needs and requirements of local residents
whilst enabling confidence for external stakeholders and businesses to invest in the
communities.
65
Durham County Council Strategic Framework
Durham County Council’s “Sustainable Communities” Strategy 2010-2030 is the
overarching plan for delivering long lasting improvements throughout the County. It
sets out five key strategic priority themes that will be focused on during the next 20
years:
Altogether Wealthier
Altogether Better for Children and Young People
Altogether Healthier
Altogether Safer
Altogether Greener
Whilst, Registered Providers are essential partners in delivering sustainable
communities, local authorities have the key strategic responsibility in this area. This
is particularly important for livin given its current geographical boundary within
County Durham and its relatively high levels of deprivation. Therefore the
Company’s approach of aligning key elements of its Corporate Plan 2011 – 2014 to
the priorities set out in Durham County Council’s Sustainable Communities Strategy
is vital in allowing the Company to play its role as a key partner in delivering
sustainable communities.
The provision of sustainable communities and vibrant and successful towns sits
within the key strategic theme of “Altogether Wealthier” and places a significant
emphasis on local housing markets and improvements in employability and skills as
key drivers in this achievement. Although the provision of a successful housing
market is predominantly featured in the theme of “Altogether Wealthier” there can be
cross cutting themes across the other four priority themes as demonstrated in the
community plans.
This theme of housing being a key driver in creating sustainable communities is
further detailed in “Building Altogether Better Lives: A Housing Strategy for County
Durham 2010-2015” (DCC, 2010). This strategy focuses on the ability for housing
and other related services to create better life chances for persons living in County
Durham by delivering better housing markets and high quality housing stock through
enhanced partnership working.
National Housing Federation
Research conducted by the National Housing Federation (NHF) found that numerous
RP’s are now using their presence and impact within their local communities to
provide services outside of their core housing management activities.
These activities are centred on employment and enterprise services, education and
skills services, wellbeing services, poverty and social inclusion, safety and
community cohesion.
66
During 2006/07 the NHF found that RP’s nationally delivered 6,800 community
services (including facilities) and invested £435 million (£272 million internal and
£163 external) into resources outside of their core areas of activity. This study
highlighted the prominence that RP’s have within their local communities and their
perfect position to act as place makers in their communities.
Further information and details relating to this research is contained within the full
NHF report, “The scale and scope of housing associations activity beyond housing”.
67
APPENDIX 2
METHODOLOGY
68
livin Communities With the help of livin’s Tenants Panel 19 local communities were defined. These 19
communities are also loosely based around Durham Constabulary’s local Police
“Beat” patches and are detailed below:
To successfully complete each individual Plan a wide range of quantitative and
qualitative data from an extended range of sources has been utilised. Data obtained
from these sources has focused on several social, economic and environmental
indicators. Data used to calculate the population figures for Byers Green has been
obtained from the 2001 Census data provided by DCC and is based on the
settlement of Byers Green (DCC, 2001). Unless stated all other Census data has
been obtained from the Lower Level Super Output Area 005A.
Locality Community Estates
1
Byers Green Byers Green
Kirk Merrington Kirk Merrington
Middlestone Moor Middlestone Moor
Spennymoor Town Town Centre (inc Bessemer Park) York Hill Tudhoe Tudhoe Grange
2
Dean Bank Dean Bank
Ferryhill Village and Cleves Cross Ferryhill Village Cleves Cross
West Cornforth Topside Lowside
Bishop Middleham Bishop Middleham
Chilton and Chilton Lane The Poets Windlestone
3
Trimdon Village Trimdon Village
Trimdon Grange Trimdon Grange
Trimdon Colliery Trimdon Colliery
Fishburn Fishburn
Sedgefield Sedgefield
4
Shildon Central Shildon Jubilee Fields New Shildon
Middridge Middridge
5
Aycliffe Old Town Shafto Simpasture Central
Aycliffe New Town Horndale Agnew Burnhill Western
Aycliffe Village Aycliffe Village
69
Qualitative data collection methods has required livin to hold a number of
consultation events within each community to gain the views and opinions of local
residents; together with anecdotal data from interviews with members of staff from
livin’s Communities and Home Support Team.
Social, Economic and Environmental Indicators
Several social, economic and environmental indicators have been established for
each community; with some being benchmarked against County and National data
averages.
The table below shows the themes and topics each Community Plan has explored
and the data sources used to populate the required intelligence.
Themes Method
Housing
Quantitative- National statistics, livin stock data, DKO lettings data, Council tax data, Durham County Council strategic housing market assessment, House price websites and Land Registry data
Qualitative – Interviews and consultation events
Crime Rates and Perception of Crime
Quantitative – Durham Constabulary crime data and livin internal data
Qualitative – Interviews and consultation events
Economy and Employment
Quantitative - National statistics and DWP Benefit data
Qualitative – Interviews and consultation events
Accessibility to Services and Facilities
Qualitative – Interviews and consultation events
Health and Well Being Quantitative - National Statistics
Qualitative – Interviews and consultation events
Education and Training Quantitative - National Statistics
Qualitative – Interviews and consultation events
Reputation and Community Cohesion
Qualitative – Interviews and consultation events
Local Environment (including built environment, management of public areas)
Qualitative – Interviews, consultation events and community environmental assessments
70
Community Views and Opinions
The community in Byers Green were invited to tell livin their views, concerns and opinions about their local community. Two
consultation events took place during June 2011 at the Village Hall. In June 2011, livin and other partner agencies participated in a
forum event involving a number of young people (aged 10 to 14 years) predominantly from Spennymoor, Byers Green, Kirk
Merrington, and Middlestone Moor to obtain views and opinions about their communities, housing and lifestyles. Anecdotal
evidence to support the intelligence contained in this plan has also been obtained from the Police Beat Team for Byers Green and
livin staff members.
The table below highlights the main concerns and areas for improvement highlighted during livin’s consultation events:
Themes Community Comments
Education & Training School has been renovated - excellent
Primary school in Byers Green is very fabulous
Housing
No houses selling – no one from outside the village moving in
Hard for first time buyers to get on the property ladder – lack of affordable homes in the village
Low turnover
New house builds have brought commuters to Village
Reputation and Community Cohesion
No cohesion between new houses and rest of village
Good reputation – pleasant place to live
Community Carnival
Community spirit is ok – community centre provides good meeting place
Mayor of Spennymoor lives in the village
71
Access to Services and Facilities
Cost of bus travel really high
school work – hard to do as no broadband or internet
No post office – only have mobile library
Feels like village services are being reduced
Concerned about the sustainability of the village
No broadband – hampers growth of village
Village hall good for promoting cohesion
Youth Club - Police tried to organise a musician to hold sessions at the Community Centre for youth
2 Play areas in Village - Hagg Street - play area and field, North Street - Field only
Football Pavilion - poor condition but opportunity to improve and utilise more - B/G Football club cannot use as so poor
Health and Wellbeing Need more fitness classes with a crèche
Not able to use football pitch – poor condition
Crime and Antisocial Behaviour
Issues around North Street
Reports of youths drinking/playing on the field in the Village
New resident to the Village attempted to set up Community Watch/Resident Association - no take up
Environment
Park/Surestart centre – not advertised enough
Problems with litter in the Spennymoor area as a whole
Speeding on the outskirts of the village
Lack of Community Wardens
Lack of activities and facilities for children - just hang around play areas
Speed limits need to be reduced
Play area needs renovating, as does football pitch
Traffic calming needs enforcing
Dog fouling on footpath on way to school
Speeding in main street
External fencing/walls of properties needs fixing
72
Dog fouling – footpaths and playing field
Plenty of places to play
Not enough grassed areas to play
Need more parks
Lots of dog faeces in the play areas
The park where I play is dangerous
Like the open space and playing fields so that can play sport based activities.
Need more open play spaces where children can safely play
Economy and Employment Need more shops to create more jobs
73
Community Ranking Methodology
Based on the intelligence contained within this Community Plan livin has been able to rank the community based on; Bronze
(potential), Silver (aspiring) or Gold (performing). This will enable the identification of the communities which require more
immediate and more intensive interventions whilst ensuring there are mechanisms in place to maintain Gold standards.
The following are details of the methodology used by livin when determining the ranking for each community indicator:
Indicator Ranking
Housing Market
Affordability
Affordability ratios have been devised by comparing income to house prices in order to calculate how many times their average income an individual would be required to borrow to purchase their own property. It is particularly interesting to assess how well lower income households can access the housing market. To gauge access to entry level housing the data used is the lower quartile income of residents within the former area of Sedgefield Borough and the average price of terraced housing within the community (the assumption is that this house type is often the lower quartile house type). Data sources for this information were the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2010 and land registry house price data. To assess the level of affordability it is important to rank the multiplier by the England average. In England during 2009 the lower quartile house price was 6.28 times the lower quartile full-time individual earnings (http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/housingplanningstatistics2010). Access to lending on homes is still calculated using a multiplier of 3.5 for single households and 2.9 for dual income households, therefore a multiplier of 3.5 or less can be deemed as affordable.
Gold = Multiplier of 0 to 3.5 is affordable Silver = Multiplier of 3.6 to 6.3 (2009 English average) Bronze = Multiplier of 6.4 and above
Tenancy
Turnover
Tenancy Turnover is determined by the percentage of houses available to let compared with the total housing stock in a community. It is recognised that this methodology is very simplistic and there are several factors that should be considered in conjunction with this ranking. These include:
Turnover rates in specific house types are generally higher than others (one bedroom bungalows) so consideration must be given to the total community stock profile
Gold communities will have a lower tenancy turnover; however a Gold ranking could indicate lack of access to housing and affordability issues requiring more households to have a housing need for socially rented properties in a particular community
It is important that when considering tenancy turnover; further investigation be given to the
Gold = 5% turnover or less Silver = 8-9% turnover Bronze = 10% turnover or more
74
circumstances surrounding the ranking and circumstances that may have contributed towards a high level of turnover. Further investigation should also be made into stock types within the community and the accessibility and affordability of housing. To compile the percentage rates used to calculate this ranking consideration has been given to Housemark’s national Benchmarking figures
Demand for
livin housing
Demand for livin properties has been determined by the comparison of three indicators of demand taken from Durham Key Options (DKO) data. Each of these indicators has been scored accordingly with the overall score of all three determining the ranking allocated to the community:
Hard to let properties in a community: This is defined as properties that have been advertised in three or more bidding cycles with DKO before being let. It is important to note that the presence of low demand house types within a community can increase the percentage of hard to let properties within a community. - No properties hard to let = 5 points - 1 to 2% of properties hard to let = 3 points - 3% or more properties hard to let = 1 point
Area of preference: Upon application households can choose their areas of choice. These
indicate a “perception” of an area therefore producing a demand. Areas of preference
between communities have been determined by analysing the number of applicants showing
a preference for each community compared to the amount of applicants received by livin (by
percentage). Applicants can indicate a preference for more than one area and it must be
noted that area of preference is made at point of first application to DKO and is a snapshot in
time. Often applicants do not update their areas of preference and these areas of preference
may differ from their original indications during time spent on the housing register.
- 50% or more applicants expressing the community as an area of preference = 5 points
- 21 to 49% of applicants expressing the community as an area of preference = 3 points
- 0 to 20% of applicants expressing the community as an area of preference = 1 point
Average (mean) bids per property by community: Demand is evident by the volume of bids
received for a property. It is noted that this method will disguise some house types or
localised areas where the bids per property are very low and in some areas where there are
exceptional number of bids per property.
- 20 bids or more = 5 points
- 10-19 bids = 3 points
Gold = 11 to 15 points Silver = 6 to 10 points Bronze = 1 to 5 points
75
- 9 bids or less = 1 point
These three indicators considered together give livin a fair indication of demand for livin’s communities. However, anecdotal evidence from staff has uncovered that this methodology may disguise the actual experience of demand in livin communities by using a general mean average over all house types and sizes. This ranking together with the analysis does indicate areas of further in depth analysis.
Average Repair
Costs Per
Property
This has been calculated by analysing the total repair costs for livin properties within each of the 19 communities for the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010. To calculate the average repair cost per property the total cost of all repairs for all livin properties in the community has been divided against the total number of stock livin owns within the community.
Gold = £599 or less Silver = £600 to £650 Bronze = £600 or more
Long Term
Unemployment
(6 to 12
months)
This ranking is based on data supplied by the DWP in March 2011 and relates to the percentage of persons residing in the Middlestone Ward (including Kirk Merrington and Byers Green) claiming Jobseekers Allowance for a period of 6 to 12 months. This data has been compared to the overall percentage for Durham County of 18%. Data was obtained from the NOMIS Official Labour Market Statistics supplied by the Office for National Statistics.
Gold = 17% or less Silver = 18% (equivalent to the County percentage) Bronze = 19% or more
Average
Household
Income
This ranking is based on national statistics and relates to model-based average weekly household total income estimates for households in the Middlestone Ward (including Kirk Merrington and Byers Green) for 2001/02. This data has been compared to the North East average weekly household total income estimate of £410.00. Data was obtained from the Office for National Statistics.
Gold = £411.00 or more Silver = £410.00 Bronze = £409.99 or less
76
livin Rental
Debit
To assess the rent payments made by tenants within livin properties in Byers Green an analysis and comparison of livin’s rental debit figures for 2009/10 to 2010/11 were utilised. The total rental debit charge is the total rent charged for all livin properties within Byers Green throughout a financial year. At the end of the financial year the total amount of rent payments collected by livin is offset against the total rental debit. The total amount of rent payments collected by livin is calculated within the first week of the following financial year; this ensures that any housing benefit payments have been processed and credited to the relevant rent account. All housing benefit payments paid by DCC are received every 4 weeks and are paid in arrears. By offsetting the amount of rent paid throughout the year against the total rental debit charge for the year livin are able to calculate how much outstanding debt it has within each individual community. This outstanding debt is commonly referred to as “rent arrears”. This figure is then calculated as a percentage of the total rental debit charge and has been used to provide the community’s ranking. livin has not been able to base the ranking of rental debit against any validated local benchmarking figures.
Gold = 0 to 0.99% Silver = 1.00% to 1.99% Bronze = over 2.00%.
Educational
Attainment
(5 GCSE’s
Grade C &
Above)
This ranking is based on national statistics from the 2001 Census data and relates to the percentage of persons residing in the community of Byers Green that have an educational attainment of 5 GCSE’s Grade C and above. This data has been compared and ranked against the County and North East averages of 18%. Data obtained from the Office for National Statistics at www.statisics.co.uk
Gold = 19% or more Silver = 18% Bronze = 17% or less
Environmental
Assessment
On 18 August 2011, staff from livin’s Communities Team conducted an Environmental Assessment on a pre-determined route through the community. At each of the “stopping points” a number of economic indicators were scored. The maximum number of points that can be awarded at each stopping point is 35. Environmental indicators include:
Grassed areas & shrubs
Fly tipping & litter
Gold = 30 to 35 points Silver = 21 to 29 points
77
Garages
Pathways, roads & parking
Trees
Boundary walls & fences
Gardens The route through the community began at High Street through to North Street, and then continued through to Wear View. The total number of points attained throughout the assessment is then divided by the number of stopping points to provide an average total for the community. The community scored a total of 99 points (99 divided by 3 = 33). Full details of the Environmental Assessments can be found at: www.livin.co.uk
Bronze = 0 to 20 points
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Total Score for Byers Green
This score is based on a range of economic, social, and environmental indicators contained within the Community Plan for Byers Green. These issues have been scored against strategic priorities from livin’s Corporate Plan 2011-2014. The maximum a community can score is 36. This is based on a maximum of 15 points for economic issues, 12 points for social issues and 9 points for environmental issues.
Contact Us:
livin, Farrell House, Arlington Way, DurhamGate, Spennymoor, Co Durham, DL16 6NL visit: livin.co.uk e: [email protected] t: 0800 587 4538 (free from a landline) or 0300 111 2344 (cheap rate from mobiles depending on your network
0
5
10
15
Economic Social Environmental
Low level
issues
Prominent issues
Substantial
issues
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