Social Landlord Service: Estate Services Policy
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1. Introduction
- 1.1.This policy considers the Council's approach to effective management of communal areas located around its social housing stock. These areas are used by residents and visitors to approximately 4500 properties. This includes tenants and residents whose homes were purchased freehold or leasehold through the Right to Buy scheme. It aims to ensure working with residents the desired clean, safe and well maintained environment is provided for all to access.
- 1.2. The policy considers services delivered to maintain these areas and the partnership work with other agencies to ensure they are safe. It also provides an overview of how the Council involve and the important role residents play in achieving the desired attractive environment in local neighbourhoods.
2. Policy Context
- 2.1.This is a sub-policy of the existing overarching Tenancy Policy and operates within the following policy context:
- Leasehold Service Charge Arrears Policy
- Leasehold management policy
- Rechargeable repairs policy
- Mobility scooters policy
- Repairs Policy
- Fire Safety Policy
- Anti-social behaviour strategy
- Tenant Alteration and Improvement Policy
- Tree and Landscape Policy
- 2.1.This is a sub-policy of the existing overarching Tenancy Policy and operates within the following policy context:
3. Key Legislation
- 3.1.This policy has been developed in accordance with the following key legislation that is relevant to this policy:
- Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005
- Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003
- Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
- Environmental Protection Act 1990
- Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978
- Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
- Equality Act 2010
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- 3.1.This policy has been developed in accordance with the following key legislation that is relevant to this policy:
4. Scope and Purpose
- 4.1. The scope of this policy includes caretaking; gardening; quality assurance; resident engagement and environmental crime management. We define communal areas as areas of land adjacent to flats, bungalows and houses which are for shared usage:
- lifts and stairwells
- grass areas
- shrub beds
- hedges
- trees
- car parks
- drying areas
- footpaths
- garage forecourts
- bin areas
- communal stores
- 4.2.Communal areas across the Councils estates are diverse with stairwells accessed by residents of four homes to those accessed by many homes off long balconies. External areas range from large green open spaces to small-paved areas. Consequently neighbourhood management requires a range of approaches to support the local community. This policy is focused on land which is owned by the Council and excludes roads and other areas which are not owned by the Council.
- 4.3.The Council recognises that there is a direct connection between the provision of quality services to support neighbourhood management and improved quality of life, enhancing wellbeing for residents and visitors who access these areas.
- 4.4.The purpose of this policy is to:
- set out a proactive approach to neighbourhood management
- provide neighbourhoods that are well maintained with clear standards and provide value for money
- ensure residents have opportunities to monitor and inform service delivery and improvements to estate areas and services
- promote recycling and prevent environmental crime, when inappropriate behaviour occurs providing robust interventions to support a safe environment
- acknowledge that tenants and leaseholders have a right to use communal areas providing this does not breach their tenancy or leaseholder agreement or impact in a negative way the life of another resident or neighbourhood
- fully comply with all required health and safety legislation
- 4.1. The scope of this policy includes caretaking; gardening; quality assurance; resident engagement and environmental crime management. We define communal areas as areas of land adjacent to flats, bungalows and houses which are for shared usage:
5. Policy Statement
- 5.1.Excellent estate services provision is integral to the Council's vision of providing quality homes and safe neighbourhoods. A clean, well maintained environment supports improved wellbeing and contributes to enhancing life chances for residents.
- 5.2. While the Council aims to deliver quality services, the support and co-operation of residents is critical to the provision of a well-cared for environment. Issues of environmental crime including fly tipping; dog fouling and criminal damage are often caused by the minority of residents or visitors. This can lead to increased service costs for all residents and their support to work in partnership with the Council is vital to minimising issues and subsequent costs.
- 5.3. Residents local knowledge and the Council's proactive approach using the Anti-social behaviour (ASB) toolkit to challenge and support perpetrators to change behaviour before issues escalate plays a significant role is sustaining a quality neighbourhood environment.
- 5.4. The Council recognises the importance of sustaining local communities and complying or exceeding with the Regulator of Social Housing's Neighbourhood and Community Standard. The Tenant Satisfaction Measures includes a specific measure (TP11) on neighbourhoods. This allows the Council to understand whether tenants consider that the Council are making a positive contribution to neighbourhoods
- 5.5. The policy has been consulted with residents to ensure it provides the best approach to achieving the purpose outlined in the policy.
- 5.6. Residents will be treated as individuals, with fairness and respect with reasonable adjustments considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
6. Estate Services
- 6.1. Caretaking is delivered through the Councils in-house Estate Caretaking Team providing an outcome based cleaning service to internal lifts/stairwells & external areas. A range of service frequencies are delivered linked to the usage and condition of each area. Works include:
- internal Lifts and Stairwells - routine Health and Safety Checks (including fire alarm and emergency lighting testing); cleaning all surfaces including flooring; windows; railings) where required and reporting of defects in the area
- external Areas - litter picking; gritting; estate monitoring (estate service contracts; bin area maintenance; tree inspection; graffiti; fly tipping and abandoned vehicles) supported by reporting defects for resolution; identifying estate improvements and communication with residents regarding issues that are impacting the area
- 6.2. Grounds maintenance and cleansing are delivered through the Council led organisation Great Yarmouth Services. Three geographical gardening teams deliver an outcome based well maintained service every 3 weeks (subject to service demands) between March to the end of October. Works include:
- external communal areas - green areas maintained with grass mown; shrubs and hedges pruned and paved areas cleansed and free of large weeds over 2 inches and leaves
- There are further visits in winter months to undertake major winter pruning; refurbishment works and cleansing. Great Yarmouth Services also provides tree maintenance and replanting programme on estates; waste collection; fly tip and abandoned car removal following investigation and the delivery of other ad hoc environmental services as required.
- 6.3.Caretaking and grounds maintenance services are subject to service charges that must not exceed the cost of the service provision. Service charge increases linked to costs and inflation are only implemented following approval by Full Council as part of the budget process.
- 6.4.The maintenance of communal areas is enhanced with opportunities for residents to undertake small planting schemes within one metre of their home and larger gardening projects subject to agreement of the Council. This is supported by the Council who deliver an annual winter refurbishment programme to ensure shrubs and trees are replaced where needed or the environment is enhanced with new shrubs beds created or trees planted. Wildflower beds are also introduced in suitable areas to provide more food for pollinators like bees; butterflies and other insects.
- 6.5.The Council also work in partnership with agencies including Norfolk County Council Highways and Norfolk Police to support communal area maintenance and safety. This ensures any defects identified on land owned by NCC are rectified and criminal activities reported in the neighbourhood are investigated and actioned promptly by Norfolk Police.
- 6.1. Caretaking is delivered through the Councils in-house Estate Caretaking Team providing an outcome based cleaning service to internal lifts/stairwells & external areas. A range of service frequencies are delivered linked to the usage and condition of each area. Works include:
7. Quality Assurance
- 7.1. Regular inspections are an important approach to ensuring quality services are delivered, issues identified/actioned and opportunities to make improvements are considered. Inspections include a quality assessment grading approach to ensure that feedback is provided where service standards are not met. This approach is used for services provided in house and by external service providers.
- 7.2.Officers inspect all locations throughout the year and target increased inspections where service provision has been identified as persistently below acceptable standard or reports of increased anti-social behaviour have been occurring.
- 7.3. Resident Estate Monitors are recruited and encouraged to support the Council to inspect their local neighbourhood, identifying issues for resolution and opportunities to make improvements linked to their local knowledge of the area. Small improvements identified by residents are considered and supported with funding through an Area Grant provision where they support a cleaner,safer and green space. Other improvement suggestions are considered though the Councils cyclical maintenance programme.
- 7.4.Tenant and leaseholder gardens are regular inspected to enable the Council to support tenants or leaseholders to manage their garden in accordance to their tenancy or leaseholder agreement. The Council provides a Garden Maintenance Scheme which is a chargeable service for tenants and leaseholders who are having difficulties to maintain their gardens.
- 7.5.A mobile device App is promoted and used as a quick and easy environmental reporting tool for residents and staff to support everyday reporting requirements. The App ensures each issue goes direct to the responsible officer and supports improved timely outcomes.
8. Hazardous Conditions
- 8.1. The Council acknowledges that wintery conditions can make paved areas hazardous when temperatures drop to freezing point. Gritting is undertaken in accordance to a risk assessment with available resources targeted into the highest risk locations including:
- external stairwells
- Housing with Care footpaths
- Sheltered Housing Communal Room entrances
- 8.1. The Council acknowledges that wintery conditions can make paved areas hazardous when temperatures drop to freezing point. Gritting is undertaken in accordance to a risk assessment with available resources targeted into the highest risk locations including:
9.Recycling
- 9.1.The Council provides facilities and encourage all residents to recycle their waste through either communal bins located adjacent to a group of homes or their individual bin. All communal bins are presented with information to support residents to recognise what can be recycled.
- 9.2. Where incidents of waste deposited in communal areas occurs the Council Estate Caretaking Team promote recycling through separating items collected using handi-cart system to minimise waste to landfill.
10. Environmental crime
- 10.1. Incidents of fly tipping; dog fouling and criminal damage are normally undertaken by a small minority, although they have a significant impact on the environment and quality of life for residents. The Council promotes a partnership approach with residents to enable officers to challenge this behaviour; support residents to change their behaviour and robust enforcement where persistent or serious incidents occur. This is supported by implementing the Council's recharge policy where appropriate.
- 10.2. Area Voices are recruited throughout the borough to support frontline staff including Estate Caretakers to ensure early identification of environmental crime issues and potential leads are actioned. Investigations focus on identifying the trigger for the inappropriate behaviour to support a solution and prevent further incidents occurring. The ASB Toolkit including powers linked to Community Protection Warnings and Notices are used to provide clear requirements for perpetrators to cease the inappropriate behaviour or face formal legal remedies.
- 10.3. Council officers working with other agencies including the police raise awareness of responsibilities to prevent environmental crime incidents and support safer communities through pop up events. These meetings identify any issues, provide advice and support in relation to community concerns.
- 10.4.Estate Newsletters are produced following persistent issues identified by residents in local neighbourhoods to raise awareness to the wider community of actions taken. When incidents of serious anti-social behaviour occur and formal legal actions are required, where appropriate outcomes are publicised to reassure local communities of the Councils response to these occasional events.
11. Monitoring and Review
- 11.1.The Council undertakes satisfaction surveys in order to understand how processes are delivered and uses feedback to develop continuous improvement throughout estate services.
Information about the document
Author Justin Gibbs Date July 2025 Document status Approved 6 August 2025 Review date July 2030
Last modified on 07 October 2025
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