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Great homes need great spaces

first for people places and partnerships

WHQS Environmental Standard

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What is the Environmental Standard?

“We are committed to being FIRST for people, places and partnerships, and are delighted to be working alongside our residents in identifying positive changes to the physical environment of neighbourhoods to complement investment in the quality of their homes.”

The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) is the guidance given to social landlords to help them ensure that all homes meet the physical condition required by the Welsh Government.

The Environmental Standard is part of the WHQS and states that:

“All dwellings should be located in an environment to which residents can relate and in which they can be proud to live”.

One of the key messages in the guidance is to ensure that we consult with our residents in order to identify improvement priorities in their local area.

Peter CahillChief Executive

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What does the Environmental Standard mean to Newport City Homes and our residents?To help decide this a group of involved residents and staff came together to attend a 2 day training session to learn more about the required standards and take part in a walkabout of a local area. During the walkabout they saw examples that were good and bad.

The group was also given the task of defining what the Environmental Standard means for Newport City Homes and how it can be implemented.

They agreed upon the following definition:

“Newport City Homes will work positively with its residents to improve their environment and create neighbourhoods where residents choose to live and work.

Our neighbourhoods should be welcoming and well maintained to encourage our residents to have a sense of belonging and pride in their environment.”

‘How will the standard be achieved?’

Interpreting the Standard will be different for each area as it will have to meet the needs of each local neighbourhood.

This is where you can play a key part in working in partnership with us. Across the city, groups of residents and staff will meet to walk around their local area and record the current state of the environment.

To make the most of the opportunity that the walkabouts provide we will be recording information about the following:

• Boundaries • Car Parking

• Children’s Play Areas • Communal Areas

• Footpaths • Hard and soft landscaping

• Roads • Signage

• Street lighting • Utilities

Newport City Homes does not have ownership of or influence over all of these matters. For example, responsibility for the majority of street lighting, roads and footpaths in our neighbourhoods rests with Newport City Council. For these categories we will compile the information we have recorded and pass the information

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‘How

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to them. We can, however, identify where there is a lack of something e.g. signage and work with you to find options to improve this.

You will also be asked to identify any local landmarks.

Within each of the categories there are a number of specific requirements, each of which you will mark as

• very poor

• poor

• good

• very good

We will provide you with a survey to record your opinion for each of the categories.

Boundaries should:

• be identifiable with public and private areas clearly indicated

• have clearly defined defensible spaces for each block or dwelling

• have walls, fences or hedges to a maximum height of 1 metre at the front of dwellings

• have walls or fences to a minimum height of 1.8 metres to the side and rear of dwellings

• not provide a climbing aid to gain access to homes

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‘How

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Car Parking should be:

• practically located and be clearly visible to residents

• close and adjacent to dwellings

• well lit

• in-curtilage where possible

• in small groups where in-curtilage is not possible

• over-looked by a gable end window when designed to be adjacent to, or between, dwellings

• positioned towards the front of the dwelling where garages are provided

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‘How

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Children’s play areas should:

• show clear intended use related to age group

• provide adequate space for the activity proposed

• provide natural surveillance and supervision from near-by dwellings

• have clearly defined boundaries

• have features to prevent unauthorised motor cycle/vehicle access

• be lit to facilitate natural surveillance at night

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‘How

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Communal areas should:

• be adequate (in number and/or size)

• be practical (for identified purpose)

• be easy to maintain

• have features that prevent unauthorised access by vehicles

• have natural surveillance from surrounding dwellings

Where a communal area is used for drying clothes it should be enclosed and have secured access via a locked gate.

‘How

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Footpaths should:

• run to the front of dwellings

• have natural surveillance from surrounding buildings

• be well lit

• be in good condition with no trip hazards

Where footpaths are to the rear of a dwelling they should:

• avoid potential hiding places

• be at least 3 metres wide

• have at least a 2 metre verge on either side

Additionally only grass or low ground cover should be used as landscaping around footpaths.

Hard and Soft Landscaping should:

• not impede natural surveillance

• avoid the creation of potential hiding places

‘How

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Roads should:

• be accessible

• be in good condition with no potholes or trip hazards

• have appropriate use of features to limit access where desirable

• be well lit

Signage should:

• clearly name and number homes to assist residents and the attendance of emergency services

Street lighting should:

• be adequate

• not conflict with landscaping and tree planting

Utilities should:

• be practically located

• well identified

• have meters to the front outside of the home where they can be over-looked

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‘How

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Below is an example of the tables you will find in your survey. For the image provided when scoring for footpaths you may mark it as follows:

Footpaths Very Good

Good Poor Very Poor

Run to the front of homes 3Has natural surveillance from surrounding buildings

3

Is well lit 3

Is in good condition with no trip hazards

3

Avoids potential hiding places

3

Is at least 3 metres wide (rear paths only)Has at least a 2 metre verge on either side (rear paths only)Only grass or low ground cover is used as landscaping around footpaths

3

After the walkabout the information gathered will be fed back to our Asset & Investment Team, so that they can begin planning a programme of works and to Newport City Council for their records.

With thanks to TPAS and I2I for the training provided and to the residents of the WHQS Environmental Standard

Resident Working Group for their participation.

We would like to thank you for agreeing

to take part in your local walkabout.

The details for the day are as follows:

Meeting Point:

Date: Time:

Your Neighbourhood Officer contact details are:

Name:

Tel. no:

Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries.