Sustainable Community Strategy - Coventry Partnership

4. Cleaner, greener local streets and open spaces
Making Coventryʼs streets, neighbourhoods, parks and open spaces attractive and
enjoyable places to be
4.1 This theme aims to address Coventry's local
environmental issues and in particular, the
immediate environment that Coventry residents
experience everyday when they step outside their
homes. This includes our streets, pavements,
verges, open spaces in local neighbourhoods and
the city's parks.
4.2 The local environment that people experience
everyday can have a real impact upon their quality
of life. Issues to be addressed under this theme
include street cleanliness, graffiti, fly-tipping and
abandoned vehicles and the provision of pleasant,
enjoyable green spaces.
Where are we now?
4.3 Clean Streets.
Cleanliness is a key issue and high priority for
Coventry residents. Local surveys across the city
and within specific neighbourhoods show that there
is less satisfaction with cleanliness in priority
neighbourhoods than in the rest of the city.
4.4 There has been a big improvement in the level
of street cleanliness in Coventry, with 79% of areas
surveyed in 2006/7 meeting the Government
standard compared to 67% in 2005/6. Evidence
shows that areas of high-density housing are less
likely to meet the Government standard, however
improvements are being made more quickly across
that land type. Targeted improvements on problem
land types including main roads, secondary retail
sites, high-density housing estates and other
highways which have been implemented have made
a significant contribution and put the city in a strong
position to achieve its targets.
4.5 Abandoned vehicles.
New arrangements for reporting and removing
abandoned vehicles are helping to improve
performance. The proportion of vehicles removed
within 24 hours has increased quarter-on-quarter
during 2007/2008.
4.6 Fly-tipping.
Coventry's fly-tipping performance, which includes
targets for levels of fly-tipping, removal and
enforcement, has been provisionally assessed by
the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairsʼ Flycapture system as "good". Improvements
in performance to deal with the growing number of
fly-tipping incidents being experienced across the
country are currently being supported through the
"Don't Dump It" project. Through the coordinated
work of a range of organisations and the use of
handheld technology, the project aims to reduce flytipping;
remove fly-tipped waste more quickly; and
secure good evidence to prosecute fly-tippers.
4.7 Coventry has a proven track record of
partnership action at a local level and there is a
strong emphasis on working through the
Neighbourhood Management structure and involving
partners in working together to make
neighbourhoods cleaner, safer and greener.
4.8 Environmental crime.
The AIMS (Active Intelligence Mapping System)
process brings a range of organisations together
regularly to consider the current levels of crime and
related activity in different parts of the city and how
best to address this. It delivers a joined up response
to hotspot areas, recognising the link between the
environment and crime, community safety and antisocial
behaviour. Environmental crime and
cleanliness issues will be tackled as part of the
programme of crack down and consolidation days
being planned with partners in hotspot areas
identified through the AIMS process. Working with
residents to identify and address environmental
priorities is a central part of the "Your
Neighbourhood Matters" programme.
4.9 Green Spaces.
The Coventry Liveability programme continues to
deliver street scene improvements with the focus
now on delivering physical improvements in
Coventry neighbourhoods. Thirty eight small scale,
green space, streetscape, neglected property and
neighbourhood shopping centre improvement
schemes are being completed or have been
implemented on site. Design is complete on nine of
the remaining ten areas and works will start on site
during the year.
4.10 Projects delivered by Groundwork Coventry
and Warwickshire in Radford Meadowlands and
Stoke Heath are complete and have brought
neglected green-space back into use. A third
scheme at Charterhouse is awaiting the outcome of
a planning application. Good progress is being
made with the three flagship projects. Work to
improve Far Gosford Street, including the £1.5m
project to create a new public square will be
completed in summer 2008.
4.11 Parks.
The Longford Park improvements and first phase of
access improvements in the War Memorial Park
have been completed. In all cases, opportunities
have been taken to maximise resources and link
with other programmes to maximise the impact of
the Liveability funding. The Department for
Communities and Local Government agreed that
some of the resources could be used to help secure
National Lottery funding to maximise the restoration
and regeneration plans for the War Memorial Park.
In March 2007 it was announced that an award of
£2.8m from the Heritage Lottery and Big Lottery had
been made allowing the improvements identified
and begun under the Liveability Programme to be
fully implemented. In addition, Coombe Abbey Park
has been awarded Green Flag status.
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