Community leaders get together for online discussion about Nunsthorpe estate
NUNSTHORPE united in a discussion on how to improve the lives of residents on the Grimsby estate.
The Grimsby Telegraph Editor's Online Debate attracted more contributors than any debate in the past.
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Discussion: Members of the panel during the Grimsby Telegraph's Editor's Debate.
It followed on from the ITV Exposure: Driven From Home documentary which focussed on the daily lives and problems faced by people living in Nunsthorpe.
About 800 people logged on and more than 250 contributed.
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As people expressed their opinions and asked questions of a panel of community leaders, the editor Michelle Lalor, stood in for David Dimbleby, Question Time-style, and presided over the debate, typing in the panel members' answers.
Among the panel members was Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell.
He was joined by acting chief inspector of police in North East Lincolnshire, Will Jenkins, North East Lincolnshire Council safer and stronger communities service manager Spencer Hunt, council colleague Steve Kay, head of integrated youth support services, Colin Lomas, antisocial behaviour community services manager for North East Lincolnshire Council, Nunsthorpe community champion Steve Hill and Andy Everett, crime reduction manager for North East Lincolnshire.
Ms Lalor said: "It was good to get the relevant community leaders and MP together for the discussion.
"I apologise to some of the people who did not get their questions answered. We shall pass them all on and attempt to get them answered by the relevant people."
Many of the questions centred on the role of Shoreline Housing Partnership, who also answered questions from its HQ.
The social housing company owns less than half of the properties on Nunsthorpe, and none of the properties shown in the documentary, which were targeted or shown as boarded up, belong to Shoreline.
Readers also wanted to know the prospects for a new community hub at the redundant St Mary's Catholic School, on Wootton Road.
Some joining in the debate questioned why community group Nunsthorpe Together had not paid the bill for the use of St Martin's Church Hall which, as reported yesterday, has left them facing possible closure.
Steve Hill said the church had gone on record on TV stating the group was given the premises "rent-free".
He urged anyone who questioned the finances of the group to contact the chairman, Roger Douglas.
He said a firm of accountants – Duncan Topliss, of Louth – was responsible for auditing the group's accounts.
One of the online contributors 'Loispeters' asked: "So why can't the police and Government and every-one else have a zero tolerance approach to these thugs?
Mr Mitchell said: "We need a bigger police force to apply zero tolerance. This is a national question."
Spencer Hunt replied: "Zero tolerance deals with the symptoms not the cause. We must start tackling the causes of these. Governments have tried to tackle it, but it is not easy to answer."
A guest on the online debate said: "I have lived on Nunsthorpe Estate for nearly four years and find it a nice place to live. Admittedly, there are some areas where houses are boarded up and gardens are used as dumping grounds, but these can be found any where in Grimsby. I find, in general, the people are great – I certainly am not looking to leave the estate.
Mr Hunt said: "Statistically, Nunsthorpe is not the worst estate in our area. We need to look at every area individually and harness what is good in each area and work alongside each other. The answer lies with the community itself."
Steve Hill said: "The programme did say Nunsthorpe was not the worst area – but it highlighted issues.
"We are here today and a lot of people have done a lot of hard work. Where we are today is far away from where we were years ago.
"We should be proud of what we have done on Nunsthorpe – we are in a better place than what we were two or three years ago."
In response to a question about powers to force thugs out, Chief Inspector Jenkins said: "Humberside Police and Shoreline are going to discuss to see if they can adopt a similar process as they do in North Lincolnshire, which is to put provisions on tenancy agreements which acknowledges that the occupant will not commit crime or disorder offences, and if they do they will be evicted."
He said there was a policing team for South ward with two dedicated police officers and eight PCSOs. He urged anyone with information about crime or antisocial behaviour to contact them on 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Replay the discussion using the console below:
Comments
by loispeters
Sunday, October 21 2012, 1:39PM
“So who was there to make a difference to OUR lives.......
Among the panel members was Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell.
He was joined by acting chief inspector of police in North East Lincolnshire, Will Jenkins, North East Lincolnshire Council safer and stronger communities service manager Spencer Hunt, council colleague Steve Kay, head of integrated youth support services, Colin Lomas, antisocial behaviour community services manager for North East Lincolnshire Council, Nunsthorpe community champion Steve Hill and Andy Everett, crime reduction manager for North East Lincolnshire.
Lets look at this....
Austin Mitchell. Aged almost 80, been MP for this area for 35 years and achieved naff all, fiddled over £10 K on his expenses (an oversight?) by mistake. Time for a care home methinks!
Will Jenkins ACI. How about some-one who can DO something apart from quoting policy.
Spencer Hunt. Job description too long to bother with!!
Steve Kay. Yep, too long as well!
Some more people with Council jobs and huge job descriptions to match their salaries.
Typists, coffee machine, sandwich maker, office cleaner.....AND.....
Oh yes I almost forgot. Steve Hill an Ex armed robber....
So, fellow residents of Nunsthorpe. Maybe we should be more worried by these "Community Leaders" than the kids on the estate. Maybe ITV could do an expose on them called "How much do we trust You???"
Because until we get rid of people like these, Nunsthorpe will remain, like so many other areas of GB, as a problem area where the majority are failed by a few because of the minority.
"Never in the field of human conflict was so little done by so few for so many at such a high cost." God bless you Winnie!”
by calypso
Sunday, October 21 2012, 11:01AM
“The GT's headline niggles me: "Community Leaders get together .." etc etc
An MP, a bunch of overpaid taxpayer-funded apparatchiks, a Policeman .. and someone who appears to have a very inflated sense of his own importance in the overall scheme of things .. these people are NOT 'leaders' of the 'community'.
For the most part they are held in contempt by the general public and no-one seriously believes they care one jot for the people of Nunsthorpe, or thinks they have the power to effect any improvements whatsoever.
Their self-importance is breathtaking in it's sheer wrongness!
One day, someone will put the PEOPLE on a panel, and ask the above sort of people to phone in with THEIR questions. Maybe then, we'll start getting somewhere.”
by ukreroofer
Sunday, October 21 2012, 10:18AM
“"Firstly apologies to all the good decent families living on the Nunny..for morons comments re knock the nunny down..blow it up etc..they live in a bubble in thier little mortgaged/paid for homes which they leave each morning to go to there secure little jobs while there kids go to there good standard catchment area schools ..beit Cleethorpes.Humberston.Waltham..Tetney they live.i suggest they save comments for crime.drug dealing.vandalism going on on there own door step. Secondly.why is Nunny getting quite a lot of Tv coverage lately in those police helicopter programes and the latest documentry..probably because local council/authority and local big wigs are encouraging it to strengthen there case applying for yet another EEC Regeneration multi million pound pot of gold to waste and dwindle away.Theyve failed once to improve life on the estate..because they are all out of touch with the world and dont see any further than sitting round tables having non productive meetings while eating chocolate biscuits..the most important issue in there head being wat company car to have next year. Im sure there are issues on the estate..The council have created the issues because at end of day they have quite happily .year after year..put very bad eggs in amongst a lot of good eggs.Ive worked the regen projects on the nunny the yarboro..and ive been in every flat in all 6 blocks of the multi stories..on heating upgrade project..you get talking to a lot of the residents naturally as part of the job..they all know whats sending the estates etc spiralling down hill..the council. All NELC are interested in is money for nothing..dwindling half of it away and the rest gets wasted on short term fix.Theyve incompently wasted millions .they cannot cope with the scenario on nunny they created.They couldnt cope with heroin epidemic so they brought police in from manchester to clean up..short term. Bring in professional independant body in to evaluate the problems and sort out for good plus let them manage any funding thrown at the cause.”
by Deafman
Saturday, October 20 2012, 2:20PM
“Still waiting for the evidence that the church said the funhouse can have the building rent free? However, still no response why the lease wasn't signed if this was the case. Surely the governing document here is the lease? No lease, no building?”
by Chixxey
Saturday, October 20 2012, 12:44PM
“It seems like they are wrapping it all up in red tape so they can have more coffee mornings and remain comfily seated in the high salaried posts they have. There is already a clause in Shoreline HP's tenancy agreements/contracts re ASB where a tenant can lose a tenancy if there is a record showing several incidents. Unkept gardens by the way is also one such clause in regard to ASB. The problem is with all the ASB paid officers, enforcement is very rare probably because it would involve costly court action.”
by loispeters
Saturday, October 20 2012, 9:24AM
“So what was actually achieved. Probably nothing. Too many people harping on about the past and airing grudges. And then the classic example....A granny from Nunny. 200 convictions for shoplifting and still allowed to roam the streets. What chance have we got of controlling her, her children or her grandchildren. We have already got classic examples of long term scroungers who "think they have a bad back" and have cost us tax payers a fortune yet we continue to support them. What those guys round the table need to do is accept that there is a problem and assess what it is. Take a No-Nonsense approach to crime and encourage people (including Shoreline) to report crime on their properties. Start punishing these youths, adults and pensioners for everything from murder to dropping litter. Make all these areas good areas where people can live safely and harmoniously. This wishy-washy, mamby pamby Liberal attitude we take to criminals must stop or the already useless police will become even more useless. The useless courts will become even more useless and law abiding folk will have no alternative but to move out or take the law into their own hands. We see enough of the outcome of that in places like Libya!!!! So, c'mon you lot round that table drinking coffee out of spotty mugs. Grow some balls and do what you were elected to do or what you are paid to do. And Grimsby Telegraph. Start reporting these crimes like they are and SHAKE these authorities into action through embarrasment or common sense. Rant ends!!!”