Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust celebrates its first birthday this week with a look back on the achievements of the last 12 months.

The Trust was created on 17th July 2006, following a vote by tenants to transfer the ownership of almost 5,000 homes from Macclesfield Borough Council to a new independent organisation. The Trust is a not-for-profit company and is a registered charity. It is based in Macclesfield and employs almost 200 people.

Over the last 12 months, the Trust has worked hard to deliver on the promises made to tenants at the time of transfer. Key achievements have included:

• Significantly improving the performance of the repairs team, so that over 95% of all repairs to Trust homes are now completed within target times
• Fitting new front and back doors to all Trust properties that required them
• Continuing commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood nuisance in communities, with 41 cases having been successfully resolved in the last year
• Involving customers and residents in the running of the Trust, with a team specifically dedicated to increasing community involvement
• Successful partnership working with Cheshire Police, Social Services and other partners to support community activities
• Continuing to provide support for elderly and vulnerable customers, including the recent launch of the ‘Home Alone’ scheme to provide support for those recently released from hospital
• Winning Macclesfield Business of the Year Award 2007 for Community Contribution

The Trust is set to achieve far more during the next 12 months, with the launch of a major improvement programme which will see £43 million invested in local homes over the next four years. The move to new offices at Ropewalks will make services more accessible to customers and it will confirm the Trust’s status as a significant local employer. Other plans include the launch of a specialist handyman service to help elderly and vulnerable customers.

Chief Executive, Tim Pinder says “I am delighted with the progress Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust has made in this, its first year. We have delivered on and even exceeded many of the promises we made, and we have firm plans in place to deliver even more in the future. I hope that our customers and other local residents will continue to see improvements in our communities and services as we move ahead.”