A Residents Association is an ideal vehicle through which to enhance the area in which you live, through participation in your Residents Association you to can have a positive impact on the local environment, and improve the quality of your surroundings.

This section hopes to be able to give practical advice on ways of tackling common problems experienced in Residential Areas. We also hope to be able to increase awareness of resources which are available to help Residents Associations come to grips with problems in their area, and to turn these problems into opportunities for community improvement.

Where to begin?
If you have a Residents Association you may already have completed some of the suggestions below, however if you are thinking of forming a Residents Association we suggest you follow the following steps.

Call together some like-minded neighbours and form a small steering committee, agree a general set of aims and objectives which are achievable in the short-term, check out issues such as insurance, grass cutting contractors (for the green area), Try to estimate the cost of completing the initial set of objectives of the Residents Association.

Calling the first formal meeting simply requires someone to locate a venue; this could be a local hall, the nearby school or the parish centre. The steering group need to have a clear idea of what needs to be done, while being open to ideas others who attend wish to pursue.

Calling a meeting can simply be organised by means of a “flyer” into each letterbox, an advertisement in the local papers or the Parish News & Views, or indeed calling to neighbouring houses and inviting the residents.

You will need a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer as a minimum for the Committee to operate, however representatives from each area, or group of houses within the estate is most advisable to ensure a broad spectrum of talents and skills are available to the Committee. (Get some activities going – such as an estate clean up, or tree planting event - others will join in and help if they see that something interesting is happening.)

A committee is important as through meeting other residents you can share information, and ideas, together you can plan the action required to make the Residents Association a success. The committee will also be in a position to network with other Residents Associations and learn from or share in their experience. Generally it is advisable to ensure that any decisions taken are by consensus where ever possible, alternatively a two-thirds majority needs to be a requirement to carry a decision.

It is not necessary to hold many meetings, however there needs to be one a month initially, it is recommended that meetings should be held at a regular time and place as this makes it easier for people to remember to turn up. However regardless of the number of meetings it is essential that you remember the committee represents the local community and arrangements for reporting back to your community needs to be agreed and implemented.

Your Committee will soon come up with a list of suggestions and enhancements which may be desirable in your Residential area, so you need to develop a three year plan, ensuring that you prioritise the suggestions by urgency and cost. (There is no point in tackling a project which is costly until you have a definitive source of income – whether by door-to-door collections or local sponsorship).

In each residential community there are always a few people who do not want to work with a Residents Association, however most people can be won over with patience and persistence – don’t force the issue.

Some problems in Residential Areas need to be addressed in a practical way; however some problems will need considerable tact, and may be best dealt with by the committee as a group.

Some aspects which will need to be addressed in your Development Plan are:

Maintaining the Green Area:
Assuming you have a Green Area this is probably going to be the singularly most expensive project you will undertake. In addition it is a recurring task, and grass cutting will need to be addressed every year, if the green area is small and manageable the job of cutting the grass could be shared out among the residents, however if it is a large area a contractor will be required. About 15 cuts per year will be required to maintain a green area in good condition. Remember that grass will probably have to be cut back from the top of kerbing by hand.

The Green Area is generally overlooked by neighbouring houses and will be the designated “safe play area” for the children on the estate.

Tree Planting:
The Tidy Towns Association promotes the use of good quality semi-mature native trees in all Residential Estates; however choose trees which are suitable roadside locations, otherwise in time your paths will be seriously damaged. A green area also looks well if trees are planted in selected areas, remember that the kids need a play area, so you don’t want a forest – leave sufficient space for football and other children’s games. Please plant native species in the green area rather than “trophy trees”, plant trees such as oak, hawthorn, willow and birch, which attract a wide variety of insects, which in return will attract the native birds. Never remove ivy from trees, ivy is a valuable wildlife habitat and food source for many creatures including the honeybees.

Remember the main cause of damage to trees is not vandalism, but poor planting and lack of maintenance. It is important to plant trees in the autumn when the soil is still warm and the tree can make new root growth before the winter. Trees will require considerable watering during their first summer following planting, and it is also advisable to keep an area of approximately one metre diameter at the base of the tree clear of grass growth, and mulched.

Flowerbeds / Shrubberies:
Flowerbeds, or shrubberies are very attractive, but time consuming, the amount of time and resources that can be given to looking after the flowerbeds or shrubberies is endless. These areas will need weeding, pruning and the clearance of litter on an ongoing basis.

Litter Prevention:
By their nature estates can sometimes have litter control problems and this must be addressed by each individual estate in the town. Litter pollution is a problem for society at large, and a partnership approach is considered the most effective method of tackling the problem. The residents in your estate need to adopt or "take ownership" your residential area, and keep it litter free. If each resident simply kept the road frontage outside their house clean and weed free, it would improve the appearance of your residential area. Five minutes a day would keep your road frontage clean and tidy.

Uncared for Buildings:
Dilapidated buildings and sheds are occasionally a problem in residential areas, you ay need to contact the owner, possibly your neighbour to effect a clean-up, a simple coat of paint applied every two or three years can work wonders.

Boundary Walls & Fences:
Road boundary walls will probably need to be painted twice each year especially on busy roads. Gable-end walls though sometimes difficult to paint should be painted when the rest of the house is being painted. Timber fencing will require treatment at least twice per year.

Regular Clean-ups:
These are a necessity, and you will need volunteers to assist in this operation. Depending on the size of your estate and the number of volunteers this clean-up can take anything from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Areas to the back of estates can sometimes become dumping areas for cut grass and other materials, so check these areas and ensure they are included in your clean-up.

Clear away evidence of vandalism immediately, such as litter, graffiti and broken trees, as signs of vandalism seem to attract further attacks, as do areas that are poorly maintained which give the impression that no-one cares.

Signage:
Erect entrance name signs and directional signage in the estate, ensuring the signs are painted and maintained in a clean and neat condition, however do not allow excessive signage, and discourage signage on footpaths which will impede the less abeled in your community. Remember permission from the County Council may be required prior to erecting signage in your estate.

Individual Houses & Gardens:
Most housing estates are generally in a good state of repair. How the private garden adds to the appearance of the public space is important. Consider developing a colour scheme for the estate that complements the character of the area. Simple landscaping at individual houses can often be very effective if the proper trees and shrubs are planted. All residents could enhance the appearance of their residential area though the tasteful presentation of front gardens. Simple improvements usually include ongoing trimming of hedges, repairs to walls and fences, removing weeds from the base of walls, keeping up with some painting etc.

Approaches to the estate:
Don’t forget the area just outside your residential area, the approaches to your estate need to be nicely maintained, otherwise they will take from the work you are doing within the residential area.

Insurance:
Insurance is a must, both to protect the individual and the Committee in the event of an accident. However health and safety is an essential element when planning any job in the estate, ensure that safe methods are used when tackling any task, and where the expertise is not available from within the Residents of the estate, you must get outside professional help.

Make sure that you take precautions to avoid accidents and have safety procedures sorted out before you start. People should be aware of the correct way to lift weights, handle power tools and even simple hand tools, such as sledgehammers and pickaxes. You might even need hard hats and safety boots / shoes. Can anyone provide first aid?

Coyle Hamilton Ltd. provides insurance schemes for Residents Associations and they can be contacted at 7/9 South Leinster Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-661 6211.

Council Help:
The County Council and Town Council are their to assist you, therefore introduce yourselves to the local Councillors, they will be able to assist you, and will know what financial supports the Council make available to Residents Associations such as subsidised litter-bins, grass cutting grants, provision of trees etc.