university of
exeter
December 2008
In the first issue of this
newsletter I publicised
the StreetWise email
and answer phone
service, which has been
designed to provide an
easy means of contact between myself and Exeter
residents. Thank you to everyone who used the
service. I have found it very useful in identifying
issues involving students off-campus and this has
enabled me to take quick and appropriate action.
The vast majority of calls (over 50%) related to student noise.
Much of this noise was linked to students socialising at home
or walking home from nights out. The remaining calls were a
mixture of complaints about refuse and recycling and general
anti-social behaviour. A small number of calls related to student
cars/parking problems. The Ward areas of St James and
Newtown were the focus of the majority of calls.
All of your calls and emails were investigated and where direct
student involvement was proven the following courses of
action were taken:
• Two student households attended a disciplinary hearing at the University for holding a loud and disruptive party. The hearing led to a ‘Community Service’ punishment issued with Police support and a Noise Abatement Order from the City Council.
• A £500 fine was levied by the University on four students for engaging in anti-social behaviour.
• Seven warning letters were sent by the University to a variety of student households responsible for disruptive noise levels.
• Eight Police visits were made to student properties to investigate disturbance/issue initial warnings.
• One combined Police/University/City Council visit was also made.
• Three email alerts were made to remind particular student households about refuse/recycling collection.
I am pleased to say that no repeat offences have yet
occurred as a result of initial verbal/written warnings. It is our
experience that initial warnings are usually enough to drive
home the message about disruptive behaviour. However, if
you experience continued problems after a warning has been
issued then please let me know.
Please keep in touch, Rory Cunningham, Community Liaison
Officer.
StreetWise email service:
streetwise@exeter.ac.uk
StreetWise 24 hr Answer phone:
01392 264686
Dealing with
Noise Nuisance
Councillor Kevin Mitchell
Deputy Mayor of Exeter
“
As a City Councillor for the St James ward, I know only too well the
problems that residents have with late night noise. People have asked how
the Council can help more to deal with noise nuisance, and whether the
Community Patrollers can assist in the early hours of the morning. As Lead
Councillor for Environment and Leisure, I am very pleased to announce that the
Community Patrollers’ role in dealing with noise nuisance from premises has been
strengthened, and they now will be working beyond midnight until the early hours
of the morning, specifically to deal with noise nuisance from premises in the City.
A recent example of the Community Patrollers’ work in dealing with noise
nuisance was in response to a number of complaints about a late noisy student
party in the Danes Road area. Both the Police and the Patrollers visited and talked
to the party-goers to try to curtail the disturbance, but also took evidence to
allow Environmental Health Officers to serve Noise Abatement notices on each
of the 12 occupiers involved. These notices prohibit the recurrence of a noise
nuisance from the premises, and anyone breaching their notice will be committing
a criminal offence and may face a £5000 fine. I can reliably inform you that most
sensible people abide by these notices!
I am also aware that officers worked with the Police and University over the
incident, and the University took their own disciplinary action against the students
concerned. It was a good example of all agencies working together to take robust
action against noise nuisance, which the Council intends enhancing further.
If you are bothered by noise from premises, then please contact the Council on
01392 265147 (office hours). If there is excessive noise in the late night that is
ongoing, then the Community Patrollers may be contacted on 0845 3511 060.
ECC’s Community Patrol
can now work beyond
midnight to deal with noise
nuisance.
”
Key contacts
Rory Cunningham
Community Liaison Officer:
to talk about general community related
issues or to enquire about the ‘StreetWise’
fund phone:
01392 263721
or email: r.j.cunningham@exeter.ac.uk
StreetWise Helpline:
for highlighting community issues direct to
the University phone:
01392 264686
or email: streetwise@exeter.ac.uk
Estate Patrol:
to report or discuss off-campus incidents
involving students 24 hours a day phone:
01392 263999
or email: E.Patrol@exeter.ac.uk
PC Dave Dalziel
is the Neighbourhood Beat Manager (NBM)
for the Exeter University Community
Phone:
08452 777444
(general switchboard number, ask for PC
Dalziel by name) Email: David.Dalziel@
devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
Exeter City Council’s
Community Patrol:
If you are bothered by noise from premises
phone
01392 265147
(office hours) or 0845 3511 060 after 5pm
Police switchboard:
to report incidents of public disorder phone
08452 777444
for emergencies call 999
Exeter City Council’s
Cleansing Services:
for missed bin collections, to request
additional bins or to make recycling
enquiries phone: 01392 665010
Exeter City Council’s
Environmental Health team:
to report accumulations of rubbish likely to
harbour or attract vermin phone:
01392 265193
Civil Parking Enforcement
Officer:
to report parking offences phone
01392 665901
Community Warden Project expands across city
In the last edition of StreetWise we reported on the pilot of a ‘Community Warden’
project in the St James area of Exeter. Community Wardens are students who
provide support for second and third year students living off campus. They deliver
key information about living responsibly within the community and help to resolve
community issues.
The Community Warden pilot is now complete and we are looking forward to recruiting a
further eight Wardens across a further four city Wards from January 2009 until the end of the
academic year.
The new Community Wardens will be based in Pennsylvania, St David’s, Polsloe and
Newtown. With our St James Wardens already in place this will equal ten students in all,
working directly within student residents and permanent residents in key areas of the city.
Student residents and permanent residents are welcome to contact the Community Liaison
Officer Rory Cunningham at any time to highlight community issues that our Wardens could
help to resolve. (Rory can be contacted on 01392 264686).
The Community Warden scheme has been jointly funded and supported by the University,
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and Exeter Community Safety Partnership.
New Community Website Launches
The University of Exeter website has just been redesigned and now includes a
number of new ‘Community’ pages.
The Community pages provide a central point of information and guidance for permanent
Exeter residents and student residents living off campus. Residents can access key contact
details, information about University facilities and updates on community projects. We also hope
to establish ‘links’ to other key community sites (including Residents Associations). Students
can directly access information about refuse collections, ideas for reducing noise and general
information about being a good and responsible neighbour.
This is the first time the University has hosted a specific ‘Community’ page, so we would like
to hear your thoughts and views about the content. The site will be updated regularly by Rory
Cunningham.
Visit www.exeter.ac.uk/businessandcommunity/university/
to view the re-vamped site.
Concerned about recycling or
community safety? Need to make-over
some untidy gardens in your street?
The ‘StreetWise Fund’ is a new funding scheme that will be launched in January 2009 to
help establish community projects throughout the city.
The overall aim of the fund is to improve relations between student residents and permanent
residents. Bids will only be accepted for projects that are planned and delivered by students
and residents working together. Bids will also be considered from other agencies working with
student residents and permanent residents across the City.
The funding for this scheme will come from fines issued to students via the University’s
disciplinary processes. Funds ranging from £500 will be made available for successful projects
from January 2009 onwards. Full application details will be available on the new Community
pages of the University website or by postal request by contacting Rory Cunningham directly.
It is recommended that you speak with Rory to provisionally discuss your application
before applying.
(office hours) and 07850 299399 after 5pm.
Term time
s 2008-09
Autumn: M
on 6 Oct -
Fri 12 Dec
12 Jan - Fri
20 Mar
Summer: M
on 27 Apr
- Fri 3 Jul
Spring: Mon
Help us make less impact on the environment by receiving StreetWise via
an email link to the University Website. Please contact Rory Cunningham
directly if you would like to receive this newsletter via email: tel. 01392 264686
or email: streetwise@exeter.ac.uk
Rory would also like to hear your ideas for future articles and features!
100% recycled :
www.exeter.ac.uk