Get involved
We want our tenants and leaseholders to be able to engage with us and access our services in a way that suits them. Working in partnership with our tenants and...
Have your say and join our team of involved residents
Sign-up to get involved in activities, take part in surveys and receive our e-newsletter.
If you need this form in an alternative format or need help to complete it, please email residentinvolvement@thanet.gov.uk or call 01843 577575.
We want our tenants and leaseholders to be able to engage with us and access our services in a way that suits them. Working in partnership with our tenants and leaseholders we shape and improve services. By getting involved with what we do, your voice can be heard. You can influence our housing services and our policies. Your views are valued and we want to listen to what you have to say.
Latest news
Why get involved?
The best way for us to improve our services is to work together with our residents. You can make a real difference and you do. Involvement can also help you gain skills, confidence, make friendships and feel really listened to.
Playground Consultation
Princess Margaret Avenue, Ramsgate
We are going to refurbish this popular playground as it is getting old and showing signs of wear.
We have three design options for the playground to choose from.
Please tell us your favourite playground design option by completing this survey before 9am on Monday 6 January 2025.
Come along to the consultation event at the Newington Community Centre, next to the playground on Thursday 12 December 2024, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm:
- See the proposed design options
- Tell us your favourite design option
The majority view of the local community will help us decide the winning design.
Here’s what residents have said about being involved in their housing services:
- ‘I am very happy with the help you give’,
- ‘Good – we get enough surveys and contact with the council has recently got better’,
- TDC listens and tells us what is going on. I get the newsletters’, ‘More maintenance of the block and repairs get done’,
- ‘May I say that along with participation in the group, I feel we are going in the right direction and achieving the aims and goals discussed at the building back trust resident conference, compared to other councils’,
- ‘The housing response officer proposal is another step forward in communication and understanding, the difference between looking out for people and listening to people’.
Talking to us and getting involved really can make a difference:
| What residents told us: | What we are doing: |
|---|---|
| Improve communication – keep residents informed, providing more face to face communication, listening and getting back to us. | We are improving the information available on our website and will continue to publish our newsletters. We welcome article suggestions from residents.
We have developed a set of service standards. We aim to carry out more face to face visits, including visiting 10% of residents each year that we would not usually have contact with. |
| Provide well maintained homes and repair services. Providing residents with maintenance plans, improving the communal areas and ensuring contractors deliver a quality service. | We have put a repair service improvement plan in place and are improving the information we provide to residents about maintenance plans for their homes.
We are developing different satisfaction surveys so that residents can give us feedback on the quality of services they have received. |
| 56% who completed the recent survey on Building a Better Relationship with Residents would like to be further involved. | We consulted residents in the development of service standards and service improvements.
Sign up here to have your say and get involved in service improvements. |
| We have a problem in our area with fly tipping and abandoned vehicles. | We liaised with residents and colleagues in the Streetscene and traffic enforcement departments to erect no fly tipping signs and remove long abandoned vehicles. |
| Litter and abandoned property in communal areas needs improving. | We have introduced zero tolerance for items left in communal areas. We have created an Estate Strategy. We have increased our Housing Response Officer team by two to concentrate on our high rise blocks. |
We want to improve our housing services. The residents (Tenants and Leaseholders) who use the service have the best insight on how we can do this.
We must ensure our residents have the opportunity to question how we do things, are encouraged to do this and are confident that we will act on their feedback.
Our Resident Involvement Strategy was co-developed with residents and sets out our commitment to improving the housing service using influence and scrutiny from residents and improving satisfaction with the service.
PermalinkWe are committed to supporting our tenants and leaseholders to get involved and influence their housing services.
Our Resident Involvement Expenses and Incentives Policy applies to Thanet District Council tenants and leaseholders only. It identifies expenses and how much can be reimbursed as a result of getting involved and how incentives are used to maximise engagement.
Getting expenses reimbursed:
PermalinkWays to get involved
Who are the Thanet Tenant and Leaseholder Group (TTLG)?
The TTLG is one of our main consultation groups made up of local group of Thanet District Council tenants and leaseholders.
It’s a non – political group that shares their experiences and scrutinises the service, so that we can make improvements.
What does the TTLG do?
The TTLG meet regularly with Thanet District Council. They work in partnership, influencing policies and strategies and advising about any local issues. The group has worked on lots of community projects over the years, helping to improve their neighbourhoods.
Members get regular training and support. This gives them the skills to work effectively with our Housing team, on behalf of the residents they represent.
TTLG AGM 2024
They celebrated their achievement at their Annual Group Meeting (AGM) in July, here are the highlights of their achievements from the past year.
Members raised 20 actions/recommendations/issues
They have influenced:
- Newsletter content – improving the information we provide to residents
- The leaseholder sinking fund collection was suspended and interest paid
- Newsletter content and improved communication
- The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget 2024/25
- The new voice for our telephone system
- Reviewed 3 policies
They have attended:
- Strategic contractor meetings
- Training sessions and conferences
Join the group
The TTLG are always looking for new members. Interested tenants or leaseholders are welcome to come along to see what a meeting is like.
If you are interested in joining please fill in our Get Involved Sign Up Form
If you would like any more information, email residentinvolvement@thanet.gov.uk or call our Resident Involvement team on 01843 577620
- View the Resident Involvement Code of conduct
- View the Thanet Tenant and Leaseholder Group Terms of Reference
Calendar of Events
Our Community Partnership Events include:
- A chance to share concerns and report repairs at a Housing Hub.
- Take part in an Estate Inspection.
- Join a community litter pick.
Please check here for upcoming events.
PermalinkFocus groups are made up of tenants and leaseholders from across Thanet. They are specifically recruited to review housing services and make recommendations for improvements.
Their findings and recommendations are considered by the Council’s Tenant and Leaseholder Services. They are supported by our Resident Involvement team.
Let us know if you are interested in joining by completing our Get Involved Sign Up Form.
If you would like any more information about focus groups please email residentinvolvement@thanet.gov.uk or contact our Resident Involvement team by calling 01843 577575
- View the Resident Involvement Code of conduct
Neighbourhood Inspections 2024
Between June and September we carried out 15 inspections across 104 blocks.
Over 40 residents identified issues, including:
| Communal areas |
| The biggest issue was items being stored, or rubbish left in communal areas. |
| We asked residents to remove items. We also served several tenants with legal TORT notices instructing them to do this.
We spent £1,694 on removing belongings from communal areas. |
| A large number of flats still had door mats outside their doors, in the communal areas. |
| Grounds Maintenance | |
| Grass cutting was acceptable at the time of inspections, but there was an issue with weeds. | The Open Spaces team has treated most areas where weeds were an issue. |
| Belmont Court and Chatham Court had lots of overgrown shrubs and bushes. | Mears has offered to cut back overgrown bushes, weed and litter pick the areas in October. |
| Overgrown trees | The Open Spaces team is carrying out inspections and we are waiting for their recommendations. |
| Litter | Our Housing Response Team and cleaning contractor, Town and Country, carried out litter picking. |
| Communal Cleaning | |
| Cleaning standards, particularly relating to cobwebs, were a concern in 17% of areas inspected. | Town and Country has carried out deep cleans of three areas, including cobweb removal. |
Signs and noticeboards
- New resident-only parking signs at four sites, including Loughborough Court, Brunswick Court, Clements Road and La Belle Alliance Square.
- Emergency vehicles only for Chatham Court.
- Flat floor sign ordered for Albion Mews.
- We’ve updated Information on our noticeboards.
We will be releasing more dates next year, for the opportunity to join us on your neighbourhood inspections. Help us check on things like communal cleaning, repairs, grounds maintenance and identify improvements.
If you would like a neighbourhood inspection in your area. Please call 01843 577575 or email residentinvolvement@thanet.gov.uk
PermalinkFor information about ways to get involved please email residentinvolvement@thanet.gov.uk or call 01843 577575.
