Welcome to your Trafford Community Newsletter.
The Neighbourhood Officers covering this patch are; Chelsea Newton, Paul Laverick and Jon Minott.
They’ve each provided an update from their areas below.
Sale West - Hurst, Hamilton, Epsom, Lingfield, Catterick, and Haydock Avenues.
Hi all,
I’ve had a great time over the last 6 months since I started in this role as one of your Neighbourhood officers for Sale West. I am thoroughly enjoying getting to know you all and meeting so many friendly faces.
In my previous newsletter, I highlighted some concerns around recycling and the use of the correct bins. I’m happy to report that during my recent Neighbourhood Inspection, I’ve noticed a real improvement. Thank you for your efforts!
That said, please be aware that Trafford Council are introducing a garden waste charge. If you need to dispose of garden waste, you’ll now need to purchase a permit from the council. You can do this by clicking here.Please note that the council will still collect food waste, and this does not need a permit.
I also mentioned in my last newsletter that I’d be arranging a litter pick event. This will be taking place on Friday 13th June. We will be meeting at the Sale West Community Centre on Newbury Avenue at 10am. I’d love to see you there – together we can keep the estate looking good.
Lastly, a quick reminder about our weekly community drop-in surgery as part of the Sale West Advice Hub. This takes place every Thursday from 10am to 12pm at the Sale West Community Centre. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get support from a range of services, including Citizens Advice, Adult Social Care, Scope, Electricity Northwest, HOST (the Trafford Council housing service), and more.
Myself and your other Trafford Neighbourhood Officers also attend. So please come along if you have any queries or issues you’d like to speak about in person. In the meantime, you can contact me by emailing – Chelsea.newton@irwellvalley.co.uk
Sale Moor and Sale West - Thirsk, Newbury, Chepstow, Ascot, Kempton, Aintree, and Goodwood Avenues.
Hi everyone,
I want to thank the residents of the Sale West estate for their continued effort in keeping their own gardens looking great. I am grateful that many of you take pride in the estate and the community spirit you show.
Sadly, following my latest neighbourhood inspection I have noticed an increase in fly-tipping across the patch and would like to point out this is a breach of tenancy. Let’s all play our part in keeping the estate clean and tidy.
If you have large, unwanted items there are multiple ways to dispose of them – there are lots of charity shops in Sale who can collect items for free. Trafford Council also offers a large and bulky item collection service. You can find out more here.
Chelsea has also organised a community litter pick taking place on Friday 13th June, meeting at the Community Centre from 10am. We’d love you to join us!
I understand parking is sometimes an issue on the estate, as many households have more than one car. I would be grateful if residents could park considerately, being mindful of other residents, and avoid parking on grass verges.
Finally, I look forward to seeing more of you at Sale West Advice Hub. I have met some lovely people on the estate, and it is a great opportunity to discuss any concerns you have. The tea is piping hot, and the biscuits are in abundance. We are there every Thursday in the Community Centre 10am – 12pm.
I hope everyone has a great summer and please do reach out if you need any support.You can contact me by emailing - paul.laverick@irwellvalley.co.uk
Heatherway, Stretford, Timperley, Urmston, Flixton and Bowden Vale.
Hello everyone,
I firstly wanted to take the time to just thank residents for how friendly and supportive you are in ensuring our communities look the best they can. My time on patch has been really positive and that’s because of our customers.
Over the next quarter my focus will be on the tidiness and cleanliness of communal areas, both inside and outside.
A recurring theme I noticed during my inspections was items being stored in both internal and external communal spaces. In line with our zero-tolerance sterile policy - which is designed to keep the buildings safe and hazard-free - these areas cannot be used for storage of any kind.
You may see that stickers have been put on any items that need to be removed. It’s important that if these items are yours, you move them as soon as possible. If items are still there when a follow-up inspection takes place, they will be removed, and you may be recharged for this. You may also receive a letter from me about this in the coming weeks.
I also want to remind residents about disposing of waste correctly, as failing to do this properly can lead to problems with pests. Maintaining these spaces is a shared responsibility which forms part of your tenancy agreement. I appreciate your co-operation with this.
To help support this I will be organising a community skip day. I will send you the details once this has been arranged.
Finally, I wanted to mention something shared with me by one of our residents Alan, from the Heatherway Estate. Alan volunteers at the Get Free Books Bookshop in Stanley Square, Sale and he wanted to let the community know about this fantastic resource. The shop offers free books to everyone, with a wide range of genres and a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere. Visitors can take up to three books per person per visit, and book donations are always appreciated.
Don’t forget that I also hold a drop-in surgery at Sale Community Centre, which you can attend to discuss any issues or concerns. This takes place every Thursday from 10am to 12pm.
But you can contact me by emailing – jon.minott@irwellvalley.co.uk
Grounds Maintenance Update
Our contractor Goulds is committed to delivering an improved service following the issues last spring and summer. We know that there have been some issues, but all first cuts should now have taken place.
The second cut should be much easier and subsequent cuts will take place every two weeks.
As part of their improvement plan, Goulds have recruited into the team including members who are responsible for our larger estates like Sale West, as well as an area supervisor providing oversight of the Irwell Valley Homes contract.
We continue to meet with them regularly to hold them to account on the service they provide as we move further into the grass cutting season.
If you have any concerns about the grounds maintenance service in your area, or if you believe any sites near your home have been missed, please complete our ‘Rate My Gardener’ survey.
The results are shared with Goulds for action and your feedback really helps us to improve. Anyone who completes a Rate My Gardener survey is also entered into our prize draw every three months to win £50 in shopping vouchers.
Click here to complete the survey.
Mutual Exchange
If your current home no longer suits your needs, whether it’s too big or too small, there are options available to you.
This includes Mutual Exchange or MEX – a way for social housing residents to move homes by swapping with another social housing customer.
We continue to hold our internal transfer list, but mutual exchanging offers another option to explore - particularly when wait times for a transfer can be long.
For more information about the process, click here.
Got a question or concern? Come and join us on our neighbourhood inspections
We carry out regular neighbourhood inspections designed to pick up tenancy or neighbourhood issues. We’ve completed our last inspections in April and have the next ones planned on the following dates:
Chelsea:
July 8th. Starting from Epsom Avenue, 9am-4pm.
Paul:
July 17th. Starting from Thirsk Avenue, 10am-4pm.
Jon:
July 7th. Starting from Briarfield Road, 10am-3pm.
July 11th. Starting from Buttermere Close, 10am-3pm.
If you’d like to join us, please drop us a line or leave us a message via Live Chat on www.irwellvalley.co.ukor by calling 0300 561 1111. We’d love to see you then!
We're here to support you
Remember, we’re here to support you. Your Neighbourhood Officer is your go-to person for any issues related to your tenancy or community.
They carry out regular community check-ins to ensure communal areas are clean, safe, and well-maintained. They will pick up any tenancy or neighbourhood issues.
You can contact your Neighbourhood Officer by emailing:
Chelsea.newton@irwellvalley.co.uk
paul.laverick@irwellvalley.co.uk
You can also reach them via live chat on our website www.irwellvalley.co.uk; send a message through our customer portal (sign in or register on our website here); email us at contact@irwellvalley.co.uk or call us on 0300 561 1111.
Kind regards,
Chelsea, Paul, and Jon.
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Trafford Community Newsletter May 2025
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