Parkway Green Housing Trust is working hard to bring its housing stock up to the Government’s Decent Homes standard but the not-forprofit landlord is about so much more than bricks and mortar.

October 2006 saw the largescale voluntary transfer of 6,000 homes in West Wythenshawe from Manchester City Council to Parkway Green after council tenants voting overwhelmingly for the change in a ballot.

Over the past two years the housing trust for Baguely and Royal Oak, Brooklands, Newall Green, Northenden and Northern Moor has been transforming social housing in the area, delivering a package of home improvements and housing services.

As well as transforming neighbourhoods, supporting community schemes and providing education and training opportunities, as part of the legacy that it hopes to leave behind for residents of West Wythenshawe.

“It is not just about Decent Homes, it is about all of the other things that we have been doing and will be doing”, says Ian Gregg, Director of Communities and Investment at Parkway Green.

“We are investing for the longterm future and this is a very exciting time.”

As a member of IMPACT - a consortium of Manchester housing associations - Parkway Green has enjoyed many benefits such as shared procurement costs, and collaborating on customer care.

But one of the major advantages that Parkway Green had, as a member of IMPACT, was the fact that it was able to start work on site from day one.

Individual organisations looking to enter into a substantial contract arrangement will be subject to European procurement rules, which can be a time-consuming process, taking up to 12 months to secure depending on the vetting processes followed.

But with IMPACT the organisations can get straight onto site because of the procurement and selection processes already carried out on behalf of the consortium members.

Gregg says: “We were able to start work on day one and in the first 18 months spent over £24million on housing repairs.”

Parkway Green will also benefit from £43 million of ‘Gap funding’ from the Government, as well as an early payment of £2million that has since been allocated based on the housing trust’s excellent performance.

Improvement works have been carried out on over half of the stock including loft and wall insulation, the fitting of new high quality
windows and doors and new kitchens and bathrooms, as well as replacing old lead water pipes with new modern materials.

Gregg says: “We are turning people’s houses around within 16 working days, which has been a big challenge and we have got a 99 per cent success rate, which is amazing.

“The major challenge for us has been the size and scope of the programme.”

Parkway Green is spending £200,000 a day on refurbishment work and residents are able to make choices such as the style of kitchen units that are fitted in their home.

“I am proud of the quality of the products that we put into people’s homes”, says Gregg. So far home improvements have been carried out on 3,610 properties but the Parkway Green story is about so much more than Decent Homes and the housing trust is
endeavouring to transform the neighbourhoods in which it works.

A total of £9 million will be pumped into the local environment over the next few years but tenant participation will be key in deciding here the money will go.

“We want the communities themselves to determine what we spend the money on”, says Gregg.

There are four environmental strategy groups, with several local tenant members, who draw up spending priorities.

So far they have identified projects including tackling the issue of run-down garages, demolishing some structures and working with local people to explore different uses for the land.

And work is well underway on refurbishing the communal areas of the walk-up flats, creating cleaner, smarter walls and ceilings and better lighting. About 1,000 flats have already been transformed and a further £2 million is to be spent on the 70 other blocks across the area.

The area is now becoming somewhere where people want to live and former residents are returning.

Gregg believes that West Wythenshawe has plenty to offer including a green flag park, which he has described as “an unutilised jewel”.

Tenants play an important role within Parkway Green and there are five tenant board members, who have equal decision-making power with the 10 other board members - five appointed by the council and five independent people with specialist knowledge.

There are nine tenants associations within the area and each one has a representative on the Tenants and Residents Committee, which meets bi-monthly. “Any key-decision making process goes past them”, says Gregg.

Plans are also in the pipeline to create a tenant-led youth panel.

And Parkway Green is doing its bit to put back into the communities by supporting local events and local people.

The housing trust is supporting young resident Samuel Glover, who will be representing his country in Canada in a top international triathlon event, by sponsoring the youngster’s trip across the pond.

Gregg says: “Because he is under 18 he must be accompanied by a parent, which makes it expensive, so we are helping to fund their trip. We are happy to be able to support Samuel.”

Parkway Green has also been creating community allotments and working with schoolchildren on schemes such as building bird boxes in Wythenshawe Park. Not forgetting building for the future, Parkway Green offers various training opportunities, including apprenticeships for local youths.

Over the last 18 months 45 apprentices have been taken on to work on schemes in West Wythenshawe.

And Parkway Green’s contracts with its building company partners specify how many local people they should employ on each project. For example Connaughts took on several local people after a successful jobs fair at Parkway Green House in September 2007.

The housing trust has also teamed up with Stepping Stones, a voluntary project that has helped thousands of people back into work.

Under the scheme people can receive advice on application forms, CVs, interview tips, take advantage of free training opportunities and taster sessions and gain invaluable financial support to help them back into work or training.

Parkway Green has packed plenty into the past 18 months and has already won top-level recognition of its progress from Government watchdog, The Housing Corporation.

And the next few years are set to be just as busy as the housing trust strives to build safer, healthier environments for its tenants, and thriving communities with bright futures.

Nigel Wilson, chief executive states: “The Trust is proud of our achievements to date and know that on this good platform we can, in partnership with our tenants keep improving our service and make a real difference in West Wythenshawe.

The staff of the trust are committed to the area and have a real sense of purpose in serving the local people, providing new services, new opportunities and developing new partnerships”.