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Revised March 2013
livin Kirk Merrington
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 GOLD
Demand for livin housing SILVER
Average cost of repairs to livin properties GOLD
Long Term Unemployment1
(6 - 12 months)
BRONZE
Average Household Income2 GOLD
Rental Debit GOLD
Educational Attainment (5 GCSE’s Grade C & Above)
GOLD
Environmental Assessment GOLD
Overall Community Ranking GOLD
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 Kirk Merrington only.
Community Ranking- Kirk Merrington
4
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 22
1.2.5 Vacant/Abandoned properties 24
1.2.6 Future demand for housing 26
1.2.7 Average cost of repairs to livin properties 29
1.2.8 Average cost of improvement programmes for 29
livin properties
1.3 Crime and antisocial behaviour 31
1.4 Economy and employment 34
1.4.1 Economic activity 34
1.4.2 Jobseekers Allowance claimants 38
1.4.3 Department for Works and Pensions key 39
benefit claimants
1.4.4 Household income 39
1.4.5 Vehicle ownership and cost of travel 40
1.4.6 Rental debit in livin properties 41
1.5 Access to services and facilities 44
1.6 Health and wellbeing 47
Contents
5
Page No.
1.7 Education and training 49
1.8 Reputation of the local area and community 52
cohesion
1.9 Local environment 52
Section 2 Community priorities 54
Section 3 Review of the community plan 55
Appendix 1 livin Strategic framework and regulatory 56
requirements
Appendix 2 Methodology 62
6
Page No.
Figure 1.1 Aerial overview of Kirk Merrington 7
Figure 1.2 Age profile of population in Kirk Merrington 8
Figure 1.3 Household profile for Kirk Merrington 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 Kirk Merrington 15
Figure 1.7 Average house prices in DL16 7 and Durham County 17
Figure 1.8 livin stock in Kirk Merrington 19
Figure 1.9 Age profile of livin lead tenants in Kirk Merrington 19
Figure 1.10 livin properties available for let during the period 21
1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010 in Kirk Merrington
Figure 1.11 livin tenancy sustainment within Kirk Merrington 23
Figure 1.12: Range of energy efficient measures that youths would 27
like to see in their future homes
Figure 1.13 Middlestone Ward, Byers Green and Kirk Merrington 31
Police Beat Area
Figure 1.14 Reported incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour in 32
Middlestone Ward during December 2010 to June 2011
Figure 1.15 Economic activity in Kirk Merrington 34
Figure 1.16 Occupation profile of 16 to 74 year olds in 36
Kirk Merrington
Figure 1.17 Economic inactivity in Kirk Merrington 37
Figure 1.18 Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants in Kirk Merrington 38
Figure 1.19 Breakdown of persons residing in Kirk Merrington 39
claiming key DWP benefits
Figure 1.20 Levels of Health within Kirk Merrington 47
Figure 1.21 Educational attainment within Kirk Merrington 49
Figure 1.22 Route of Environmental Assessment 53
List of Figures
7
Kirk Merrington is a rural village located within County Durham, 10 miles south of Durham City and 12 miles north of Darlington. It is thought that the name “Kirk” derives from the Celtic word for church, and “Merrington” from the old English words meaning “farmstead of the people of Merra” and “small town, or estate”. Archaeological finds indicate that the area has been inhabited as far back as the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. Throughout the years the village has mainly supported itself by farming and work within the local coal mining industry. From its opening in 1835 through to closure in 1901, Tudhoe Iron Works provided employment for many residents in Kirk Merrington and the surrounding area. By 1911, mining was the main source of employment with collieries located at nearby Ferryhill, Mainsforth, Tudhoe, Whitworth and Page Bank. The closure of these collieries during the late nineteenth to mid twentieth century finally saw the demise of the mining industry within the area.
Figure 1.1: Aerial overview of Kirk Merrington Source: Ordnance Survey
Once part of the former “Sedgefield Borough”, Kirk Merrington 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: Spennymoor, Middlestone Moor, Byers Green, Tudhoe,
Croxdale, Sunderland Bridge and Hett.
Section 1 Community Profile
8
1.1 Demographics
1.1.1 Population – Now and in the Future
The population within the settlement of Kirk Merrington is
approximately 739 (DCC Census settlement summary,
2001). 51% of the total population are male with the
remaining 49% being female (Census, 2001, Lower Layer
Super Output Area (LLSOA), KS01, 005B).
Population data indicates that Kirk Merrington has a diverse range of age groups.
There is a high percentage (58.5%) of persons aged between 25 to 64 years old
living in the village; this being significantly higher than the Durham County and North
East averages. 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 actively seeking work.
There is a lower percentage of children aged 0 to 15 years (16.9%) and young
persons aged 16 to 24 years (9.0%) living within the village when compared to the
Durham County and North East averages.
The population of residents aged 65 years or more (15.7%) remains in line with the
Durham County and North East averages.
Figure 1.2: Age profile of population in Kirk Merrington Source: Census 2001, LLSOA, KS02, 005B
The main household types in Kirk Merrington consist of married couples with no
dependent children (27.4%), followed by single person households (22.3%) and
married couples with dependent children (20.6%) (Census 2001, LLSOA, KS20,
005B).
The population of Kirk
Merrington is
approximately 739.
16.9 9.0 58.5 15.7
19.1
11.0
53.3
16.5
19.8
11.1
52.6
16.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Persons aged 0-15
Persons aged16-24
Persons aged25-64
Persons aged65 years or over
%
Kirk Merrington
Durham County
North East
9
The percentage of married households with no
dependent children in Kirk Merrington is substantially
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 (17.7%) and North East (16.9%) averages.
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 significantly 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 within the village which indicates that 67.5% of residents
are aged 16 to 64 years old.
Figure 1.3: Household Profile for Kirk Merrington Source: Census 2001, LLSOA, KS20, 005B
Trend-based projections from DCC indicate that the countywide population will
initially decline up until 2016 before 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
20.6%
27.4%
3.1% 5.0% 4.2%
4.2%
22.3%
0.0% 11.7%
1.5%
Married couple household with dependentchild(ren)
Married couple household with no dependentchild(ren)
Cohabiting couple household with dependentchild(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)
There are a high
percentage of married
couples with children living
in Kirk Merrington when
compared to the rest of
Durham County.
10
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
entirely 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.
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.
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
Num
ber
anticipatedactual
DCC
Principal
DCC Lower
95%
DCC NC
ONS
Principal
By 2026 the number of
persons in the
“economically active” age
group within Durham
County will total less than
present.
11
Figure 1.5: Age pyramid projections for Durham County Source: Durham County Council, Strategic Housing Market Assessment, 2010
Although Kirk Merrington does not currently have an ageing population there is a
probability 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
forthcoming years this age group will 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.
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)
12
1.1.2 Religion and Ethnicity
An understanding of the ethnic and religious structure of the local population enables
livin to ensure that its 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 Kirk Merrington is Christianity
(87.3%). 0.2% stated their religion to be Buddhism. The remaining percentage of
the population stated they had no religion or did not provide details (Census, 2001,
LLSOA, KS07, 005B).
Ethnicity within the village predominantly consists of White British (98.2%). The
remaining 1.8% of the population are from other ethnic backgrounds including Irish,
Other white, Mixed white and black Caribbean, Black or Chinese (Census, 2001,
LLSOA, KS06, 005B).
Recent research conducted by DCC and NHS Darlington estimated that between
0.43% to 0.57% of Durham County’s population consists of people 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 Kirk Merrington consists of families and young couples; the majority of
whom will have a housing need for larger sized quality homes with two bedrooms or
more.
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
village through the provision of affordable and accessible housing, and sustainable
local employment. In addition it is necessary for there to be a range of accessible
services and support organisations within the local area to provide family centred
support to these households over the coming years.
livin owns a total of 8, one bedroom bungalows in Kirk Merrington. This is 57% of
livin’s total housing stock in the community. The letting of bungalows is normally
restricted to persons aged 60 or over, or those with a medical need. The remaining
Key Demographic Characteristics:
58.5% of residents in the community are aged 25 to 64 years. This is
significantly higher than the Durham County average.
15.7% of residents in the community are aged 65 years or more.
27.4% of households consist of married couples with no dependent children
and 20.6% of households consist of married couples with dependent children.
The community predominately consists of couples and families with only 22.3% of
households consisting of single persons. This is lower than the Durham County
average (29.2%). County Council projections indicate that the number of single
households will significantly increase over the coming years.
Trend-based projections indicate that the Countywide population will increase
to an estimated total of 501,625 in 2026 (DCC, 2010).
Currently the majority of the countywide population fall within the “economically
active” age group; however these residents will soon begin the transition in
retirement and will be the main driver of an ageing population.
98.2% of residents are White British; with the remaining 1.8% being of Irish,
Other White, Mixed white and black Caribbean, Black or Chinese ethnic origin.
The prominent religion in the community is Christianity (87.3%).
14
6 (43%) properties owned by livin within the village are two and three bedroom
houses which can be used to meet the housing need for couples and families.
Demand for one bedroom bungalows 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 expect this
level of demand to continue for larger sized bungalows. However, consideration
must be given to the forthcoming Welfare Reform and its potential for significantly
increasing demand for smaller sized properties for persons under 65. To ensure the
housing stock within the community will be able to meet current and future levels of
demand it is necessary for livin to complete a comprehensive review of the provision
and suitability of its current housing stock.
An understanding of the ethnic and religious structure of the local population will
enable livin to ensure that its 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
Kirk Merrington 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.
Figure 1.6: Housing Tenure in Kirk Merrington Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS18, 005B
More than three quarters of residents living in Kirk Merrington own their properties, this being substantially higher than the County average of only 66.7%. 35.4% of residents own their property outright and 50.6% own their home through a mortgage or loan scheme. There are no households living in shared ownership properties.
A substantially lower percentage of social housing (7.4%) 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 Kirk Merrington that was previously owned by
Sedgefield Borough Council is now owned and managed by livin.
A high percentage of owner occupation and low percentage of socially rented
properties within a community are typical characteristics of a rural village.
A substantially lower percentage (7.4%) of social housing is located in the
community, compared to the County average of 25.4%.
86% of households in
Kirk Merrington own their
own home outright or
through a mortgage or
loan scheme.
35.4%
50.6%
0.0% 7.4%
0.0% 4.0% 2.5% Owner Occupied: Owns outright
Owner Occupied: Owns with amortgage or loan
Owner occupied: Shared ownership
Rented from: Local Authority - includinglivin
Rented from: Housing Association /Registered Social Landlord
Rented from: Private landlord or lettingagency
Rented from: Other
16
There is a marginally lower than average percentage of households in Kirk
Merrington living in privately rented properties (4%) when compared to the rest of the
County (5%). The private rented sector has always played an important role in the
housing market 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.
Generally, Kirk Merrington can be seen to exhibit an unbalanced housing market
with a higher than average percentage of owner occupation and lower than average
percentage of social housing and privately rented properties. Again these
characteristics are typical of a small rural village.
There is a local Gypsy and Traveller site located at East Howle located
approximately 4 miles from Kirk Merrington. The site is provided by DCC and has 25
permanent pitches. It is 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.
It has not been possible to obtain individual house price data for Kirk Merrington
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 August 2011, indicates the
current prices of properties within Kirk Merrington to range from £64,950 for a
terraced property to £300,000 for a detached property. Approximately two thirds of
the properties for sale in Kirk Merrington at this time are priced at over £130,000.
17
£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
Kirk Merrington(Postcode DL167)
Durham County
Figure 1.7: Average House Prices in DL16 7 and Durham County (January to March 2010) Source: Land Registry, 2011
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.
For Kirk Merrington 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 higher given current house prices from Right Move. Full details of the
methodology for this ranking can be found in Appendix 2.
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 County multiplier of 5.54, but more affordable
when compared nationally (6.28). Residents perceive a need for the provision of
“affordable” homes within the village that would allow first time buyers and young
families access to the housing market.
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.
There are currently only two housing developments within the local area which are
eligible for buyers to obtain help from Government schemes. A new scheme called
18
First Buy was introduced in 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 HomeBuy and FirstBuy schemes can be found
in nearby Spennymoor Town and Ferryhill Station.
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 help meet housing need, as 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 own housing need. Lack of access to the owner occupier
and the private rented sectors can increase pressure on livin’s housing stock,
particularly for single households, young couples and families.
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.
86% of households own their property outright, or through a mortgage or loan
scheme.
The community has a substantially lower percentage of social housing (7%)
when compared to the rest of Durham County.
Only 4% 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 village to enable first
time buyers and young families access to the housing market.
19
1.2.3 Current Supply and Demand for Housing
livin Housing Stock
livin currently owns and manages a total of 14
properties in Kirk Merrington (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 has been one
property within Kirk Merrington purchased from
livin through the “Right to Buy” scheme.
These 14 properties include one bedroom bungalows, 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 may 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 Kirk Merrington and the age profile of lead tenants
can be seen in the following tables:
Property Types
1 Bed Bungalows 8
2 Bed Houses 4
3 Bed Houses 2
Total 14 Figure 1.8: livin stock in Kirk Merrington (as at 11 July 2011) Source: livin, 2011
Figure 1.9: Age profile of livin lead tenants in Kirk Merrington (as at 11 July 2011) Source: livin, 2011
Age Range (based on age of lead tenant)
16-20 years 0
21-30 years 0
31-40 years 2
41-50 years 1
51-60 years 1
61-70 years 3
71-80 years 2
81 years or more 5
Unknown (Void, non livin managed) 0
Total 14
livin own 14 properties in the
community; 57% of these are
one bedroom bungalows and
43% are two and three
bedroom houses.
20
Currently 57% of livin’s housing stock in Kirk Merrington consists of one bedroom
bungalows; with the remaining 43% of stock consisting of two and three bedroom
houses.
It is important that stock levels within a community are able to meet current and
future demands for housing. Within Kirk Merrington livin own no larger sized
bungalows and only a small number of larger sized houses. Together with low levels
of turnover this will see many households having 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 Kirk Merrington is
small and consists of only one bedroom bungalows. As demand throughout livin’s
communities for one bedroom bungalows is typically low there is the potential for
these property types to not meet future housing demand within the area. However
there will be a need for livin to consider the forthcoming Welfare Reform and its
potential for again increasing a demand for smaller sized properties for persons
under 65.
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 12 active
applications for housing received from residents already living in Kirk Merrington. 3
of these applicants were banded by DKO as Bands A to C+ due to them having a
statutory housing need. This housing need may be linked to the inability of some
households to obtain a mortgage or loan due to current lending restrictions, or
restricted access to the private rented and social housing sectors due to low stock
levels within the village. The remaining 9 applicants do not have a statutory need for
housing.
During the period 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010, there was only one livin
property available for let in Kirk Merrington making livin’s stock turnover within the
There are currently 3
households from Kirk
Merrington registered
with Durham Key
Options in statutory
housing need.
21
community 7%. This is a lower than average turnover when compared to the total
turnover of all livin housing stock (9%) for the same period.
Figure 1.10: livin properties available for let during the period 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010 in Kirk Merrington Source: livin, 2011
Based on national benchmarking figures provided by HouseMark this low level of
stock turnover has resulted in the community being ranked as GOLD 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. It is however important to
consider that a low level of turnover in a community with limited social housing stock
can result in higher demand being placed on the private rented sector, or households
being required to move away from the area to access affordable or social housing.
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 Kirk Merrington, livin do not
own any bungalows with two or more bedrooms, and only own a limited amount of
two and three bedroom houses, all of which have infrequent turnover. A low
turnover of all property types and limited availability of larger sized properties within
Kirk Merrington 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 two 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
One Bedroom Bungalow
Two Bedroom House Three Bedroom House
1 0 0
During the 1 October
2009 to 30 September
2010 there was low
tenancy turnover in
Kirk Merrington.
22
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 Kirk
Merrington cannot be fully determined from this one property, lower demand for one
bedroom bungalows is typical throughout all of livin communities.
It is important to remember that policy decisions and legislation will also affect the
levels of demand for particular house types. 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 look to 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 Kirk Merrington. 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 23% of
livin’s housing applicants indicating Kirk Merrington to
be an area of preference the community have been
ranked as SILVER 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 Kirk Merrington 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 small number of properties
owned by livin within the village and how this limits access to social housing for local
households, specifically families and young couples.
1.2.4 livin Tenancy Sustainment
There is a high percentage of long term
tenancy sustainment within properties
owned by livin in Kirk Merrington. This is
reflected in the low level of turnover of
housing stock within the village.
50% of tenants who have a livin
tenancy in this community have
lived in their current home for 10
years or more.
“There is a demand for
affordable housing
within the village.”
Resident from Kirk
Merrington
23
The limited number of properties owned by livin within Kirk Merrington combined with
high levels of tenancy sustainment is resulting in restricted access to social housing
for local residents.
As at 13 July 2011, 43% of livin tenants within Kirk Merrington have lived in their
current home for a period of between 0 to 4 years, 7% of tenants for a period of 5 to
9 years and 50% 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 larger sized properties. The majority of livin tenants that have lived in their
property for 10 years or more reside in two and three bedroom properties.
Figure 1.11: livin tenancy sustainment within Kirk Merrington 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 at 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 if looking for a more suitable property to
meet their housing need, 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 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
43%
7%
50%
0-4 years
5-10 years
10 years or more
24
specialised accommodation it is expected that tenancy sustainment will place an
even higher level of demand on the availability of social housing within Kirk
Merrington 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 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. Kirk Merrington has a low
percentage of housing stock consisting of
empty and/or abandoned properties, indicating a good overall level of demand.
Information obtained from DCC’s Council Tax database in July 2011 indicates there
to be 8 possible properties that have been empty and/or abandoned (this figure may
include properties that are currently for sale) for a period of six months or more
within Kirk Merrington. Based on a total of 736 domestic dwellings (Census, 2001,
LLSOA, KS16, 005B) in Kirk Merrington and North Close this is only 1.1% of the total
stock. Data collection limitations have restricted further detailed analysis of this
information.
During December 2010, a low
percentage of properties within
the village were vacant /
abandoned.
25
What does this mean for livin?
Demand for livin housing in this community has been ranked as Silver. It is essential
that this ranking is maintained to this level or enhanced to Gold over the coming
year. However the identification and development of interventions to increase
demand will be challenging due to low levels of stock turnover and the limited
amount of stock owned by livin in the village.
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 clear need for livin to review its provision of 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.
livin own a small number of two and three bedroom properties within the village with
none of these being bungalows. Countywide there is an increased demand for two
bedroom bungalows, and based on DCC’s future population projection it is expected
that this trend will continue. Although the level of demand for one bedroom
Key Supply and Demand Characteristics:
livin currently own 14 properties within the community; 57% are one bedroom
bungalows and 43% are two and three bedroom houses.
There are no larger sized bungalows or four bedroom properties owned by
livin in the community.
During 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010, only 1 property became available
for let; making tenancy turnover within the community 7%.
During 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010 there was no 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 low for one bedroom bungalows in the 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.
50% of livin tenants living within the community have sustained their tenancy for
a period of 10 years or more.
26
bungalows within Kirk Merrington cannot be fully determined at this time due to low
levels of turnover, demand for this property type is typically low throughout all of
livin’s communities. This 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.
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
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 are based on this 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.
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.
27
During the Youth Forum livin asked 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 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.
28
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 also have to consider its current housing provision and how it will meet the
need of an increasing elderly population whilst also finding bespoke solutions to
meet the individual needs of vulnerable groups. Anticipation of an ageing population
and typically low demand for livin’s one bedroom bungalows, and sheltered housing
schemes in other 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 Kirk Merrington 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 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 future developments. In addition to helping reduce the
consumption of energy in livin homes these measures may also see cost saving
benefits for tenants through reduced energy bills.
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.
.
29
During 2009/2010, livin’s average repair cost per property in Kirk Merrington was
£480.61, during 2010/2011 this average cost increased to £494.06 per property.
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. Kirk
Merrington has been awarded a ranking of GOLD for average repair costs per
property 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 its repairs and maintenance
partner Mears, completed 38 repairs (including gas safety) to its properties in Kirk
Merrington. 29% of these repairs were emergency repairs which required immediate
attention.
The average repairs 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 to livin
properties in Kirk Merrington increased to 39. 28% 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. There are a number of factors that determine which
improvement works are completed at a property during forthcoming programmes in
each community.
30
During 2011/2012, livin will further improve 12 of its properties in Kirk Merrington at
an expected average cost of £7,946 per property.
For example some properties may only receive new internal and external doors,
whereas others may be due new internal and external doors plus a replacement
kitchen and bathroom.
A number of improvement programmes have already been completed in Kirk
Merrington with internal modernisations and improvements made to all 14 properties
during the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 at an average cost of £4,706 per
property. The majority of these properties received a new heating system and
internal/external doors.
During 2011/12, livin expects to carry out further internal improvements to its
properties in Kirk Merrington at an expected average cost of £7,946 per property.
These improvements will include a new kitchen and bathroom and full electrical
rewire.
What does this mean for livin?
The community has a low repair cost per property resulting in a ranking of Gold.
Although the number of repairs marginally increased from 2009/2010 to 2010/2011,
the percentage of emergency repairs decreased.
Just under one third of the repairs required to livin properties in the community
during 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 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 however be noted that during 2011/2012 livin will be completing
improvement programmes within Kirk Merrington resulting in 12 of its properties
receiving a new kitchen, bathroom and a full electrical rewire. It is expected that as a
result of this improvement programme there will be a reduction in the cost of repair
costs for these properties during the coming years.
31
During December 2010 to June 2011 the level of crime within Middlestone Ward,
Byers Green and Kirk Merrington was “Average”.
(Police.uk, 2011)
1.3 Crime and Antisocial Behaviour
The village of Kirk Merrington 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 for England and Wales.
During this period there were a total of 20 reported incidents of crime and antisocial
behaviour in Kirk Merrington (Police.uk, 2011). Of this total 70% were in relation to
antisocial behaviour, 15% were in relation to “other” crimes (including criminal
damage, shoplifting and drugs) and 15% were in relation to vehicle crime.
livin’s Support and Intervention Team received no complaints of nuisance or
antisocial behaviour occurring within Kirk Merrington during the period 1 April 2010
to 31 March 2011.
32
Figure 1.14: Reported incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour in Middlestone Ward during December 2010 to June 2011 Source: Police.uk, 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 were no concerns raised by residents about
antisocial behaviour being caused by youths in the village. This corresponds with
information from the community’s Police Beat Team, confirming no current problems
with youths causing nuisance or antisocial behaviour in the community. Residents
do however feel that the village lacks recreational facilities and activities for children
and young persons.
Many residents expressed concerns about increased incidents of vehicles speeding
through the village and in areas surrounding the local primary school.
Information gained from the Youth Forum in June 2011 found issues relating to crime
and antisocial behaviour in their local community to be of significant importance to
local youths.
1
5
1
5
2 2
1 1
2
0
1
2
3
4
5
6N
um
be
r o
f R
ep
ort
ed
Inci
de
nts
Burglary
ASB
Robbery
Vehicle Crime
Violent Crime
Other
33
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.
Key Crime and Antisocial Behaviour Characteristics:
For the period 01 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 20 reported Police incidents of crime and
antisocial behaviour in Kirk Merrington.
70% of reported incidents were in respect of antisocial behaviour
15% of incidents related to other crimes, such as criminal damage, shoplifting
and drugs
15% of incidents related to vehicle crime
During the period 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011, livin’s Support and
Intervention Team received no complaints of nuisance or antisocial behaviour.
Consultation found local residents are concerned about 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
felt unsafe in their communities during the evening.
34
During 2001, 68.2% of residents in Kirk Merrington were economically active;
this is significantly higher than the County average of 60.2%.
(Census, 2001)
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.”
(Source: Census, 2001)
Of this total economic activity 45.4% were in full time employment and 10% in part
time employment. 8.4% of persons were self-employed; this being considerably
higher than the Durham County average of 5.4%. 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 Kirk Merrington) 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 Kirk Merrington Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS09A, 005B
The availability of local employment was a key issue highlighted by residents during
consultation. Residents reported that a lack of local employment and recent
redundancies from local businesses have placed an increased requirement for
residents to travel out of the area to gain sustainable employment. This necessity to
travel is currently being hampered by rising fuel costs and the affordability of car
45.4 10.0 8.4 2.8 1.6
38.5
10.7
5.4 3.7
1.8
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
EmployeesFull-time
EmployeesPart-time
SelfEmployed
Unemployed Full timeStudent
%
Kirk Merrington
Durham County
35
During 2001, 40.7% of residents in Kirk Merrington were employed as
Professionals, Managers, or in Associate Professional and Technical roles.
(Census, 2001)
ownership; together with an increased reliance on what is seen by residents to be a
restricted 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 for 2011/12. 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 Kirk Merrington are employed in a wide
range of different occupations (Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS12A, 005B)
40.7% of residents are employed in skilled roles as Professionals, Managers, or in
Associate Professional and Technical roles. There are a substantially higher
percentage of residents employed in these occupations when compared to the
County average (32.9%). High levels of employment within these occupations are
reflected in the high percentage of residents (17.2%) in the village that hold an
educational qualification at levels 4 to 5 (equivalent to degree or professional level).
The percentage of residents in Kirk Merrington employed in a skilled trade (14.7%) is
higher than the County average (12.7%). There are lower percentages of residents
employed in lower skilled occupations (20.1%) including elementary (labourers,
kitchen assistants, and bar staff) and plant and machine processing roles.
Over the past ten years the plant and machine processing industry has been one of
the hardest hit resulting in many large scale local employers such as Black and
Decker, Flymo, Thorn and Electrolux relocating or ceasing to trade. As the majority
of residents within Kirk Merrington are not employed within these industries it is
expected that a good level of economic activity will have been maintained within the
village since this data was gathered in 2001.
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).
The largest industrial estate within the local area is located at Meadowfield, with
smaller estates located at Willington, Bowburn, Chilton and Spennymoor. However,
36
development is currently under way on DurhamGate at Spennymoor, a large mixed-
used regeneration scheme which will incorporate business, living and leisure.
Figure 1.16: Occupation profile of 16 to 74 year olds in Kirk Merrington Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA KS12A, 005B
“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.” (Source: Census, 2001)
Economic inactivity was also slightly lower than the County average (39.8%) with a
total of 32% of the population not employed, and not actively seeking work (Census,
2001, LLSOA, KS12A, 005B). Retirement (15%) was the main reason for residents
within Kirk Merrington being economically inactive; this is comparable with the
County average where retirement equates to 14.8% of economic inactivity.
14.5
11.6
14.6
12.7
14.7
5.3 6.7
10.3 9.8
11.6 9.2 12.1 11.7 12.7 7.3 8.4 13.3 13.7 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
%
KirkMerrington
DurhamCounty
37
The percentage of
residents claiming
Jobseekers Allowance for
up to 12 months is higher
than the County average.
(DWP, 2011)
Figure 1.17: Economic inactivity in Kirk Merrington Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS09A, 005B
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 residents who have been claiming
Jobseekers Allowance for up to 6 months (77.8%)
when compared to the County (73.5%) and National
averages (68.5%). Data collection limitations do not
allow for this information to be obtained for Kirk
Merrington alone.
The percentage of residents claiming Jobseekers Allowance for a period of 6 to 12
months (19%) is also higher than the County (18%) and National (17%) averages.
This high percentage of residents claiming Jobseekers Allowance for a period of 6 to
12 months has resulted in the community being ranked as BRONZE. It is important
to note that the data used to compile this ranking relates to the Middlestone Ward
(including Byers Green and Kirk Merrington), not Kirk Merrington alone. Full details
of the methodology for this ranking can be found in Appendix 2.
The percentage of residents claiming Jobseekers Allowance for 12 months or more
(6.2%) is lower than County average (8.4%), and more than half the national
average of 14.2%. This indicates that lower numbers of persons residing within
Middlestone Ward are claiming Jobseekers Allowance for longer than 12 months
when compared to the 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 economically active
through employment or actively seeking employment. Although long term
unemployment 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 residents who have become unemployed
within the last 12 months.
15.0
3.2 4.6
7.1
2.1
14.8
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
%
Kirk Merrington
Durham County
38
1.4.2 Jobseekers Allowance Claimants During August 2010, there were a wide age range of residents that were claiming Jobseekers Allowance in Kirk Merrington (DWP, 2010). 50% of persons claiming Jobseekers Allowance were aged between 16 to 24 years; this being substantially higher than the County average of 34%. The percentage of persons aged 25 to 49 years claiming Jobseekers Allowance (50%) was marginally lower than the County average of 52%. There were no residents aged 50 years or more claiming Jobseekers Allowance.
Figure 1.18: Jobseekers Allowance claimants in Kirk Merrington Source: DWP, August 2010
The percentage of persons aged 16 to 24 years claiming Jobseekers Allowance was
substantially higher than both Durham County and North East averages. This
highlights a clear need for service providers to target this age group when delivering
future skills and training courses. It is important that any skills and training courses
targeted at this age group will help individuals to meet their training needs and future
aspirations and help them gain sustainable employment.
During consultation a number of residents
expressed concerns about the lack of local
employment opportunities for residents. In order to
access training and employment residents are
required to travel out of the village to surrounding
towns and cities. Many feel that this requirement to
travel is restricted by the cost of owning private
transport and the restricted timetables and routes
covered by local bus companies. There are
“Residents have to
commute to work”
Resident from Kirk
Merrington
50 50
0
34
52
14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Claimants Aged 16-24
Claimants Aged 25-49
Claimants Aged 50and Over
%
Kirk Merrington
Durham County
39
concerns that ongoing service cuts imposed by DCC may see local bus timetables
further reduced thus restricting access to further education, training and employment
for many residents.
1.4.3 Department for Works and Pensions Key Benefit Claimants
During August 2009, the total percentage of residents claiming a DWP key out of
work benefit was substantially lower than the Durham County average of 21%. The
majority of residents in Kirk Merrington claiming a key benefit were in receipt of
Incapacity Benefit (9%); this is lower than the County average of 11%. These figures
are comparative with the intelligence contained in Section 1.6 which indicates that
the general health of the population within Kirk Merrington is better when compared
to the rest of Durham County.
Figure 1.19: Breakdown of persons residing in Kirk Merrington claiming key DWP benefits Source: DWP, August 2009
1.4.4 Household Income
During 2001/02 estimates of mean weekly household income (gross) in the
Middlestone Ward (including Byers Green and Kirk Merrington) was £20 per week
higher than the North East average of £410 (ONS, Middlestone Ward, 2005). Data
collection limitations have restricted further detailed analysis of this information to
Kirk Merrington 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 (including Byers Green and Kirk Merrington), not
Kirk Merrington alone. Full details of the methodology for this ranking can be found
in Appendix 2.
3
9
0 1 0 0 0
Job Seekers
Incapacity Benefits
Lone Parent
Carer
Others Income Related Benefits
Disabled
Bereaved
40
Residents at both consultation events expressed significant concerns about the rising levels of fuel and housing costs and how the affordability of these costs are beginning to have a detrimental impact on income and lifestyle.
1.4.5 Vehicle Ownership and Cost of Travel In 2001, only 15.7% of households in Kirk Merrington did not own a car or van; this being substantially lower than the County average of 31.4%. 44.1% of households owned one car or van, and the remaining 40.2% owned two or more cars or vans (Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS17, 005B).
Although levels of vehicle ownership may have altered since 2001, the rising cost of fuel and other related costs will now have a significant impact on vehicle usage, particularly amongst low income households. Low levels of vehicle ownership and restricted use can affect residents’ lifestyles by restricting access to services and facilities outside of the local area. The 2001 census indicated that 45.3% of residents in Kirk Merrington travelled to work driving a car or van (Census, 2001, LLSOA, UV39, 005B). Throughout consultation a number of residents expressed their concerns about the need to travel outside of the local area for access to shopping, employment, and specialist services such as colleges, universities and hospitals. This reliance on travel outside of the local area, places an increased need on a reliable public transport system for households that do not own their own vehicle. There are fears from residents that ongoing budgetary reductions to rural transport services imposed by DCC will see many residents become more isolated and detached from obtaining specialist services whilst also restricting their ability to gain sustainable employment.
41
By the end of the financial year 2010/11 livin reduced its outstanding rental debit
figure (unpaid rent) to 0.03%; a total of £199.
1.4.6 Rental Debit in livin properties
To assess the rent payments made by tenants within livin properties in Kirk
Merrington 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 Kirk Merrington) was £50,433. At the end of this financial year
there were outstanding arrears (unpaid rent) of £271; making an unpaid rental debit
charge of 0.54%.
For the financial year 2010/11 the total rental debit charge was £47,947. At the end
of this financial year there were outstanding arrears of £72; making an unpaid rental
debit charge of 0.03%.
Based on the unpaid rental debit charge of 0.03% for the financial year 2010/11, Kirk
Merrington has been ranked as Gold. 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 higher than
the North East average of £410 indicating a good level of affluence within Kirk
Merrington.
During 2001, economic activity within Kirk Merrington was higher than the
Durham County average.
32% of residents in 2001 were not in employment, and not actively seeking
work. 15% of residents were economically inactive due to being retired.
During 2001, 20.1% of residents were employed in low skilled job roles.
40.7% of residents were employed as Professionals or Managers, or in
Associate Professional and Technical roles.
During March 2011 the percentage of residents claiming Jobseekers Allowance
for 12 months or longer was low. Unemployment levels for residents claiming
Jobseekers Allowance for 6 to 12 months were higher than the County average.
The percentage of residents aged 16 to 64 years claiming Jobseekers
Allowance is higher when compared to the County average.
Health levels within the community are better when compared to the County
average. During August 2009, only 14% of residents were claiming a key DWP
Benefit. 9% of this total was claiming Incapacity Benefit.
42
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 their rent via payment card. Payment cards
can be accepted at over 60 local outlets (including Post Offices) wherever the
“Paypoint” sign is displayed
During livin’s consultation events a number of residents expressed concerns about
the rising level of housing costs and how the current economic climate is increasing
the level of debt for low income households and 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 Benefits 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?
Kirk Merrington currently has high property prices, good levels of educational
attainment, a high percentage of residents employed in management and
professional roles, and an estimated weekly household income of £20 more than the
North East average. However, it is important to recognise that although affluence as
a whole within Kirk Merrington may be good there will still be some local residents
who with help and advice from livin and its partners, can benefit from enhanced
employment prospects and increased financial confidence.
The effects of the recession and current economic downturn are being felt by a large
number of households within livin’s local communities and together with future
reforms to the Welfare Benefit system will provide for challenging times. As a result
livin must be mindful that local residents and tenants within Kirk Merrington will
potentially need support through these financial difficulties. This could mean the
signposting of tenants and residents to debt management and financial inclusion
support agencies through livin’s dedicated Financial inclusion Team.
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 16 to 24 years that are claiming Jobseekers Allowance.
livin are required to understand the barriers to employment experienced by residents
and tenants and assess the level of support it can offer. 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 and employment.
This reduction in services together with the increasing cost of vehicle ownership has
43
the potential to make travelling to work a major barrier to employment within Kirk
Merrington.
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.
44
Kirk Merrington is a small rural village with very limited services and amenities.
1.5 Access to Services and Facilities
There is no local GP or Dental surgery located in the village. Access to public health
care can be found in the surrounding settlements of Ferryhill, Spennymoor and
Bishop Auckland.
Retail services within the village are very limited.
There are three public houses 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.
During consultation many residents were concerned about the lack of amenities
within the village, particularly for shopping, and activities for children and young
persons.
There is a Community Centre located within Kirk Merrington which is well utilised by
a number of local groups and clubs for health and social related activities. Residents
feel the Community Centre plays an essential role as a “meeting place”, bringing
together local residents and helping to improve community cohesion. However there
were concerns raised about a lack of activities for children and young people at the
Community Centre.
Although there is no resident library within the village, DCC provides a fortnightly
mobile library that can be utilised by residents.
There are no livin affiliated Residents’ Groups within Kirk Merrington.
A local Methodist Church and the Church of St John the Evangelist are both located
within the village offering regular worship and occasional coffee mornings and
concerts throughout the year.
The village has access to a broadband internet connection.
During the Youth Forum the attending children and young persons raised a number
of key issues in their local areas. These included the need for enhanced play
facilities, 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
“There are no local
amenities in the village –
nowhere to buy our bread
and milk.”
Resident from Kirk Merrington
45
equipment in the play parks and dog fouling on playing fields and areas surrounding
the play facilities. Some of the younger Forum
members said they sometimes feel intimidated by
the 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 Kirk Merrington resulting in a requirement for the youths to
travel out of the local village to access after school and weekend activities. There is
a multiuse games area located within the village, together with a playing field and
small play park for children. The multi-use games area provides a fenced non-turfed
area that can be used for a number of activities and games. 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. This provision will continue as one of the
AAP’s priorities for 2011/12.
Spennymoor Town Council own a number of allotment sites within Kirk Merrington
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 Kirk Merrington.
A recent survey of residents living within the Spennymoor AAP area (DCC, 2010)
indicated that 85% were satisfied with public
transport; this being one of the highest levels of
satisfaction throughout the County. However
during consultation there were clear concerns from
residents about the provision of public transport in
and around Kirk Merrington.
Many 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.
“Limited bus services
causing problems for
residents that need to
travel for work, shopping
or education.”
Resident from Kirk Merrington
“Lack of activities for
children and young people
in the Village.”
Resident from Kirk Merrington
46
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.
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 very limited access to public services and amenities.
There is no access to public health care or grocery shopping within the
community.
Residents have highlighted an essential need for travel out of the area for
shopping, specialised goods or services, employment, and education.
There is a Community Centre which is currently utilised by a number of local
groups.
The village has a small play park with multiuse games area and playing field.
These are the only sporting and recreational facilities within the village.
Satisfaction with public transport services in the area is poor with many
residents feeling that the current provision is unreliable and restrictive for their
needs.
47
During 2001, the number of
persons in “Not Good”
health in Kirk Merrington
was 3% lower than the
County average.
1.6 Health and Wellbeing
The general level of health in Kirk Merrington is
notably better than that of the County as a whole
(Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS08, 005B). The total
percentage of persons in “Good” general health is
6% higher than the County average. The
percentage of residents who indicated that they
were in “Not Good” general health is 3% less when compared to the County
average.
2001 Census data indicates that 14.4% of persons of working age suffer from a
limiting long term illness (Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS08, 005B). Again this is 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 Kirk Merrington) 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 Kirk Merrington alone.
Figure 1.20: Levels of Health within Kirk Merrington Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS08, 005B
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.
The local leisure centre at Ferryhill which is also owned and managed by DCC is
69.2
20.8
10.1
62.6
24.2
13.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
General health:Good
General health:Fairly good
General health: Notgood
%
Kirk Merrington
Durham County
48
expected to close by the end of 2011. The extra costs relating to travel and the use
of these facilities could prove unaffordable thus restricting access to health based
activities for some members of the community.
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 Kirk Merrington 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 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.
14.4% 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.
49
2001 census data indicates
that 17.2% of residents have
attained qualifications to
degree or professional levels.
1.7 Education and Training
Levels of educational attainment for residents
are higher within Kirk Merrington when
compared to the Durham County average
(Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS13, 005B).
2001 Census data indicates that 29.2% of the population in the area have no formal
qualifications.
The percentages of residents attaining level 1 (18.6%) and level 2 (20.9%)
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 Kirk Merrington Source: Census, 2001, LLSOA, KS13, 005B
6.5% of residents hold qualifications at level 3; this being marginally less 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 high percentage of residents (17.2%) that hold qualifications at
levels 4/5 when compared to the County average (14.5%).
29.2
18.6 20.9
6.5
17.2
7.5
36.0 17.0 18.1 7.4 14.5 7.1 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
%
KirkMerrington
DurhamCounty
50
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 persons employed in skilled roles
as Professionals, Managers, or in Associate Professional and Technical roles.
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.
Although Kirk Merrington Primary School and
Pre School are located within the village
residents require access to transport to access
secondary schools and higher education. The
Primary School has a good reputation within the
village.
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 also provide 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 restricted 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 Kirk
Merrington.
At the Youth Forum the attending children and young persons indicated “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.
“There is a need to travel
for secondary schools and
colleges so a good, reliable
bus service is essential.”
Resident from Kirk Merrington
51
There is a lot of concern from local residents about the opportunities for training and
education within the village. Access to further education and employment usually
requires residents to travel out of the local area, this being hampered by the rising
costs of vehicle ownership and what is seen to be an inadequate public transport
service.
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 local schools and
colleges to help increase educational opportunities for our tenants and local
residents.
Key Education Characteristics:
In 2001, 29.2% of residents within the community held no formal educational
qualifications.
17.2% of residents within the community are educated to Degree or
Professional level; this is higher than the Durham County average.
There is good access to primary education with Kirk Merrington primary school
located within the village.
Access to secondary education and college requires travel outside of the
community.
Residents are concerned that the current public transport service within the
village is restricting access to education.
52
1.8 Reputation of the local area and community cohesion
Feedback gained from the consultation events
indicates that the village is perceived by local
residents to be a pleasant, friendly and safe place
to live.
The residents attending the consultation events feel
the current level of community cohesion within the
village to be good. They believe the Community
Centre and the facilities and activities that 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 Offers 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.
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 and the need for traffic calming measures to
deter motorists from speeding through the village.
Residents are particularly concerned about
increased incidents of dog fouling in public play
areas, particularly on the playing field and around the children’s’ play area. There
was also a request for traffic calming measures around the local Primary School and
Hallgarth Street.
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 two
designated “stopping” points on a pre-determined
route through the community.
At each designated stopping point a number of
environmental indicators were assessed and a number of points awarded.
“Kirk Merrington needs
improved outdoor facilities
for children and young
persons”
Resident from Kirk Merrington
“There is a good level of
community spirit in Kirk
Merrington.”
Resident from Kirk Merrington
“The village needs some
traffic calming measures
as some motorists drive at
speed through the village.”
Resident from Kirk Merrington
53
During the assessment the community was found to be clean and tidy. There was
no evidence of litter, fly tipping or dog faeces in public areas. Properties within the
vicinity of the stopping points were well maintained with tidy gardens. The public
highway was identified to be in poor condition in places between Hopkinson Place
and Chapel Street.
Based on the points awarded at the pre-determined stopping points, the community
scored a total value of 34.
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.
54
Based on the information 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 Kirk Merrington.
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 four 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.
Help to influence and maintain services that benefit the needs of local residents
and the community as a whole
Develop a partnership approach to reducing barriers to work and increasing
employment opportunities for local residents
Develop a partnership approach to develop health based initiatives to help
residents adopt healthier lifestyles and further improve levels of health
Maintain a partnership approach to reduce incidents of low level crime and
antisocial behaviour
Section 2 Community Priorities
55
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 Kirk Merrington. 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 Kirk Merrington 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
56
APPENDIX 1
livin STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
&
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
57
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).
58
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
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
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
59
investment. They have an impact on all areas of service delivery, renewal and
regeneration, and have departmental cross cutting themes.
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.
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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.
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These activities are centred on employment and enterprise services, education and
skills services, wellbeing services, poverty and social inclusion, safety and
community cohesion.
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”.
62
APPENDIX 2
METHODOLOGY
63
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 Kirk Merrington has
been obtained from the 2001 Census data provided by DCC and is based on the
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
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settlement of Kirk Merrington only (DCC, 2001). Unless stated all other Census
data has been obtained from the Lower Level Super Output Area 005B which
includes both Kirk Merrington and North Close.
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 and children and young persons; 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
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Community Views and Opinions
The community in Kirk Merrington were invited to tell livin their views, concerns and opinions about their local community. Two
consultation events took place during May 2011 at the Community Centre. 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 Kirk
Merrington 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 Have to travel for education – problems with transport
Primary school in Kirk Merrington is very good
Housing
House prices are a barrier to living in Kirk Merrington – too high
Lack of affordable homes in the village
Not enough affordable housing or “council” housing
Hard for first time buyers to get on the property ladder – lack of affordable homes in the village
Reputation and Community Cohesion
Good – community centre is good for bringing people together
Good reputation – excellent community spirit
Friendly village
Community spirit is ok – community centre provides good meeting place
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Access to Services and Facilities
No shops / very few services – nowhere to buy bread and milk
Lack of facilities for youth engagement – no youth club
Lack of shops
Bus services reduced – causes problems
Lack of shops and Post Office
No local amenities – no shops etc – bus services cut
Need more play activities
Need a shop
Crime and Antisocial Behaviour
Speeding outside of school – need traffic calming – traffic through the village is increasing
Cars parking around the church (Sunday)
Speeding buses – traffic calming needed
Speeding outside of the local school
Traffic calming needed around Hallgarth area
Very quiet - no problems reported with youths causing ASB or nuisance behaviour
Received ASB reports are not in relation to youths causing a nuisance.
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Environment
Lack of activities and facilities for children - just hang around park
More external facilities for teenagers
More dog and litter bins
Dog fouling - play area
Dog fouling – footpaths and playing field
Plenty of places to play
Not enough grassed areas to play
Need more parks
Litter
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 No issues with employability but need to commute to be able to work
.
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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 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 circumstances surrounding the ranking and circumstances that may have contributed towards a
Gold = 5% turnover or less Silver = 8-9% turnover Bronze = 10% turnover or more
69
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
- 9 bids or less = 1 point
These three indicators considered together give livin a fair indication of demand for livin’s
Gold = 11 to 15 points Silver = 6 to 10 points Bronze = 1 to 5 points
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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 01 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 (lower than the County percentage) Silver = 18% (equivalent to the County percentage) Bronze = 19% or more (higher than the County percentage)
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
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livin Rental
Debit
To assess the rent payments made by tenants within livin properties in Kirk Merrington 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 Kirk Merrington 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 Kirk Merrington 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 21 July 2011 staff from livin’s Communities Teams 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
Garages
Gold = 30 to 35 points
Silver = 21 to 29 points Bronze = 0 to 20 points
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Pathways, roads & parking
Trees
Boundary walls & fences
Gardens The route through the community began on the B6287 and continued through to Chapel Street, along Merrington Close and ended at Beckwith. 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 34 points (68 divided by 2 = 34). Full details of the Environmental Assessments can be found at: www.livin.co.uk
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Total Score for Kirk Merrington
This score is based on a range of economic, social, and environmental indicators contained within the Community Plan for Kirk Merrington. 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
21