children who play on our estate

There are 3 boys from a neighbouring street who have now started to play on our estate, with a ball, and yelling.

For a start, even WE aren't allowed to play ball games so why the heck should they? Why can't they just stay in their own street? It is close to 9pm and in my view they are too young to be out unsupervised!

Nobody has the nerve to go out and speak to them. Mind you, my neighbours wouldn't say boo to a goose, they're too wimpy.

Rant over...

Re: children who play on our estate

We have a similar problem; the one wall of our block of flats runs along the side of the main village car park and despite the fact that there is a perfectly good sports field/facility at the other side of the village, the local youths seem to prefer this car park, and as soon as the evenings begin to draw out they arrive to practice their ball kicking skills. Against this wall!! On the ground floor lives a lovely old lady of 86, she has had both hips and knees replaced and lives in almost constant pain due to arthritis, and frequently goes to be early and reads. This wall they kick against is in fact her bedroom wall!! As indeed it is the bedroom wall for all three flats. Can you begin to imagine what it sounds like inside the flats? The constant double thump of the foot hitting the ball then the ball hitting the wall?

Fortunately when asked nicely they will move on, but then come along a group that have not been asked and it starts all over again, thump thud, thump thud.

We have asked the Housing Association to put a sign on the wall, but they say that the car park is not their responsibility, and the Council who own the car park say that the flats are not theirs, and both say WE cannot paint a sign requesting that balls not be kicked against the wall!

GRRRRR.

Re: children who play on our estate

Gggrrr from me too - bloomin stupid red tape

Re: children who play on our estate

Gahhhhh!!! That is just awful!!!

Re: children who play on our estate

We solved the problem of kids hanging around by joining them, the idea two fat oldies were going to hang out with them every evening seemed to put them off coming back

Re: children who play on our estate

Thats the way to do it

Re: children who play on our estate

What about the Community Police support officers?
You could pop into the local police station and make enquiries.

Re: children who play on our estate

I've seen "no ball games" signs up on estates, they just don't want to be bothered. We've got new kids round here, they cycle around cars while you try to park & run in the road. I lost it & let rip, pointing out that it will be them that gets hurt. They're just testing boundaries & quite young, so there may be worse to come. I always warned my kids not to annoy the neighbours if they went out to play, even in the garden. There's nothing more annoying than the sound of a ball bouncing repeatedly.
Look in the tenancy agreement, ours says you are responsible for the behaviour of visitors to your house, is they are playing with tenants kids then they should be told to keep them under control.

Re: children who play on our estate

We are mostly shared ownership residents (and plenty of rentals). Problem is, we need gates at the entrance but we have been fighting the HA for years just to sort out the bin shed area. There are three HAs on the estate, including one for social housing.

Re: children who play on our estate

Even shared ownerships will have some sort of list of the HA's responsibilities. Try to find out what they are, if they should be doing something about it and aren't contact The Housing Ombudsman.
When I lived in Wells we ended up with our own policeman who used to go round the estate most days, have a residents meeting if you can & get someone from the HA to attend.