Residents at a tower block in Stafford signed up to a special agreement with their landlord, setting out how they want to live and work together in the future.
The Pennycrofts Court Community Agreement was been drawn up by Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) in partnership with residents at Pennycrofts Court in Stafford.
Around a third of the 150 residents in the 15 storey block have signed up and SARH are hoping more will follow in the coming weeks.
The agreement explains how customers are committed to conducting themselves in their daily lives, showing care and consideration for their neighbours. It also details the services that they can expect from SARH.
The list includes everything from the everyday niggles, such as dropping litter or holding the lift up while you chat to a neighbour, to more serious acts of antisocial behaviour, such as noise nuisance, using foul or abusive language or causing damage to the building or anyone else’s property.
It’s designed to complement rather than replace the standard tenancy agreement. By signing it, residents pledge that they will treat their neighbours with tolerance and respect and that together with SARH they are prepared to take a stand against anyone whose behaviour threatens the quality of life at Pennycrofts Court.
In response to resident feedback, SARH is in turn investing in a number of improvements at the block, including the re-painting of communal areas and installation of CCTV cameras and new security doors.
A group of staff and customers will meet monthly to review how the Community Agreement is working. It will also monitor SARH's performance on caretaking and dealing with complaints, repairs and breaches of either the community or tenancy agreements.
SARH has also pledged to carry out and publish an annual review and customer satisfaction survey with the scheme.
