Neighbourhood management approach
We proactively manage the neighbourhoods where our homes are located so that they are a clean, safe, and attractive place to live for all our tenants.
Council teams work closely together to manage the services where you live.
Waste collection
We collect waste every week. Collections alternate between general household waste and recycling. Between April and October, we also collect garden waste for those households paying the annual charge. To find out when bin collections take place in your neighbourhood, check out our handy bin collection day checker. Damaged or missing bins can be replaced for a fee.
Cleaning
We clean the streets in our estates every 15 working days. We will remove hazardous litter such as broken glass as soon as possible.
We clean the communal areas in multi-storey housing and accommodation for older people every day.
Staff and residents monitor our neighbourhoods to ensure they are clean.
Trees
We maintain trees across Gateshead on a priority basis. We will always check for nesting birds between April and July.
Grass cutting
Between April and October, we cut the grass on all estates every 15 working days. We aim to produce an even finish that is attractive and neat. Grass cutting takes place more frequently around sheltered housing.
Hedge cutting
We routinely maintain hedges in open spaces around our housing. Hedges will be pruned to maintain a neat and tidy appearance. Due to nesting season, we do not maintain hedges from April to September, other than in cases where growth presents a health and safety issue, or there is an issue with access.
Play areas
Play areas are checked every week to ensure they are clean and safe. We remove any rubbish and debris on the site, empty all bins and remove graffiti. If you spot any offensive graffiti please report it, and we will remove it within 24 hours.
If we can't resolve any issues immediately, we will report it to relevant colleagues to action.
Neighbourhood inspections
We routinely inspect all of our estates to ensure their upkeep. We also regularly host , where tenants are encouraged to join our teams to inspect neighbourhoods and identify and address any areas of concern. This includes:
- gardens
- Gateshead Council repairs
- trees
- private sector housing
- grass cutting/strimming/ shrubs
- graffiti/vandalism
- street lighting
- paving/potholes
- drains/manholes
- fly-tipping/litter
- dropped kerbs
- dog fouling
- vehicle nuisance
- unauthorised alterations
- health and safety hazards
Issues will be addressed through appropriate action. This may be by engaging with other services within the Council, directly engaging with residents, or working with other organisations in the area.
Multi-storey block inspections
We carry out annual health and safety inspections of all communal areas in our low-rise and medium-rise blocks. We complete any repairs and maintenance that is needed.
Fly tipping
If any instances of illegal fly tipping is found or reported in our neighbourhoods it will be removed within 15 working days for non-hazardous waste, and two days for hazardous waste.
Gardens
We want our neighbourhoods to be clean, tidy, and safe for our tenants, and managing untidy gardens is an important part of this.
Most of our tenants maintain their gardens to an acceptable standard in line with their tenancy agreement. Unfortunately, some do not. In these instances, we will engage with them to agree a plan as how the garden will be tidied. If tenants do not follow the plan, this may lead us to take enforcement action.
Abandoned vehicles
If you suspect a vehicle has been abandoned, please check to see if it has road tax and MOT on the Gov.uk website. If the vehicle holds tax, MOT, is not stolen and is parked in an area with no restrictions or yellow lines, it is legally parked and can remain where it is.
In some instances, a vehicle may be considered to be abandoned and can be reported to the Council. Report an abandoned vehicle.