A HOUSING trust operating in Knutsford and Wilmslow has dealt with more than 430 cases of anti-social behaviour since reviving a specialist team last year.

Peaks and Plains scrapped its in-house anti-social behaviour team in April 2017 after its finances were hit by a reduction in rental fees set by Government a year earlier.

Residents with concerns were told to contact Cheshire Police or Cheshire East Council instead, while some serious anti-social behaviour cases were passed onto Weaver Vale Housing Trust.

But the move heaped pressure on those organisations, causing Peaks and Plains to reconsider the decision and bring back its anti-social behaviour team last April.

“We really wound back our anti-social behaviour service a couple of years ago,” said David Squires, head of customer experience for Peaks and Plains, at a CEC meeting on Monday.

“In April 2019 we decided that it was a good idea to reinstate the service, so we feel we have come full circle really in the service that we provide.”

While reinstating the team, Peaks and Plains also introduced a tenancy support team and new safeguarding polices.

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Since last May, the trust has dealt with more than 430 cases of anti-social behaviour – from serious incidents such as assaults or hate crime, to low-level nuisance and neighbour disputes.

It is currently dealing with 53 cases, while the busiest spell for the team was last July, when there were 97 cases – although many were ‘legacy’ issues dating back to when Peaks and Plains scaled down its anti-social behaviour operations.

The trust has also obtained 15 injunctions against perpetrators of anti-social behaviour since last May.

Cheshire East Council began investigating anti-social behaviour issues at Peaks and Plains properties in April 2017, around the same time the in-house team was scrapped.

Cllr Margaret Simon, Conservative CEC member for Wistaston, led a cross-party working group that explored the impact of Peaks and Plains’ decision at the time.

Knutsford Guardian:

She told the trust’s representatives at Monday’s CEC corporate overview and scrutiny committee meeting: “I think it’s good that it has been brought back to us today for an update and to see how you’ve progressed with this.

“It’s good to see you’re now on board again at Peaks and Plains.”

Meanwhile, the tenancy support team has helped more than 100 residents with their finances, provided 120 food parcels to households in need and dealt with 24 cases of hoarding.