Habinteg Ipswich scheme gets grant funding for new CCTV | Tenant news

Tenants at our Blackfriars Court scheme in Ipswich are feeling safer thanks to a new CCTV system provided by our grant funding scheme.

The six new security cameras were installed across the Ipswich scheme in March.

“We’ve seen a significant reduction in fly-tipping of furniture and anti-social behaviour,” said Simon O’Brien-Ellington, who has been the scheme’s local tenant representative for more than 20 years.

“It’s given our tenants a positive outlook. Before, if something happened, there was no evidence to prove it. Now that our scheme is covered by security cameras, tenants feel more protected.”

Improving quality of life

The newly installed security system connects to staff mobile phones, allowing staff to access footage when they are off-site and take appropriate action if required.

Amy McEvoy, Neighbourhood Manager for our Central & East region, which includes the Blackfriars Court scheme, said: “Having the camera system means that if an individual comes onto the scheme and causes problems, we will be able to provide digital evidence of any incidents to the police now.”

Funding granted

Amy submitted the scheme’s funding application for the CCTV system in February, after the proposal received a majority vote by the Blackfriars Court tenants a month before.

“They were really surprised we got the funding, and are over the moon about it,” Amy said.

Blackfriars Court is not the only scheme in our Central & East region to see improvements in its surroundings this year.

Bringing colour to Dunstable  

There’s an array of colour around our Clarkes Way scheme in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, pictured above, thanks to some newly planted flower bulbs.

Tenants at Clarkes Way used their 2023-24 tenant-led improvement budget to pay for the planting, which was completed by the scheme's landscape gardening contractors, and cost around £500.

The flower bulbs, which included tulip and daffodil varieties, were planted across the communal green areas of the scheme in March and recently began to bloom.

Stuart Crawley, who is the Neighbourhood Co-ordinator for Houghton, Regis, Letchworth and Peterborough areas, which includes our Clarkes Way scheme, plans to encourage tenants to use their 2024-25 budget on more bulbs to add to the planting.

If you’d like to submit an application to the tenant led improvement budget to brighten up a communal area on your scheme, please talk to your Neighbourhood Team.