Tackling Neighbour Nuisance and Anti-Social Behaviour
Winchester City Council has successfully obtained Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) on five members of a household in Swanmore thanks to successful partnership working between the Council, Hampshire Police and local residents.
The ASBOs were gained together with an outright possession order for the family's tenancy, following continual complaints of anti-social behaviour, including damage to property and aggressive and intimidating behaviour towards local people and officers. Information was compiled with the support and assistance of local residents and the evidence clearly showed the negative impact the family was having on their neighbours’ health and quality of life.
Winchester City Council Housing Officers and Hampshire Police made every effort to work with the family to prevent the applications for the ASBOs and possession proceedings becoming necessary. However, despite numerous interventions to assist the family in maintaining their tenancy, the families conduct and behaviour did not improve.
The three five year ASBOs against the adults, covering the whole of England and Wales were gained on the 28 July 2008 and the full ASBO hearings for the young people are scheduled for October 2008, in the meantime interim ASBOs have been secured. The Council also regained possession of the property on 13 August 2008. The Orders were granted after hearing evidence produced by the Council and the Police that all family members had engaged in conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to local residents, resulting in numerous breaches of tenancy.
Cllr Tony Coates said "Winchester City Council is committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and whilst every attempt is made to steer individuals away from behaving in an anti-social manner, action had to be taken in this instance due to the impact of the family's behaviour on the local community. Due to the behaviour of this one particular household, residents were being deprived of the peaceful enjoyment of their homes. By resolving the issue successfully, residents are now able to enjoy the quality of life to which they are entitled".