Anti-social behaviour measures at St Mark’s Place, Newark, funded by Nottinghamshire Police Safer Streets project, are installed
New gates have been installed in central Newark to discourage anti-social behavior as part of a £1million investment in safer streets.
Gates were installed in St. Mark’s Square to prevent access to alleys where drugs were used, urinated and graffiti painted. Local residents and workers feel unsafe.
The Safer Streets Fund’s Gates investment prevents vehicular access to the area.
The project is one of several plans for Newark, including better street lighting and door entry systems.
Safer Streets will also fund training for staff at licensed venues to keep women and girls safe at night and support the Shopwatch and Pubwatch program with a data-sharing app.
Police and Crime Inspector Caroline Henry said: “Funding for Newark will be directed towards projects that will really make a difference in people’s lives.
“It helps shopkeepers protect their businesses and makes shoppers feel safer. It will brighten the streets at night, in areas where people previously felt uncomfortable after dark. And it will help residents feel safer in their homes by keeping their spaces safe.
“Keeping people safe and more importantly helping them feel safe is what the Safer Streets Fund is all about and I’m really pleased we’ve been able to give Nottinghamshire such a large amount of funding. We will now work closely with our local partners to ensure we maximize every penny on behalf of the public to help achieve our goal of making Notts safe.”
Funding for Newark comes as part of a £3million windfall secured by the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office for projects across the country.
The Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund targets projects to combat crime and anti-social behavior in the neighborhood and prevent violence against women and girls.
In all, the Office of the Police Crime Commissioner was successful with four bids worth £750,000 after working with Community Safety Partnerships across Nottinghamshire, as well as Newark and Sherwood District Council and Nottinghamshire Police.
Newark, Sherwood and Bassetlaw Borough Councils share one of those £750,000 pots for safety projects in their areas.
“I am delighted that these funds are once again being invested to make our community safer,” said Roger Jackson, portfolio owner for Cleaner, Safer, Greener at Newark and Sherwood Borough Council.
“The feedback we have received from residents and local businesses following the previous projects has been extremely positive and has proven that the program can really improve feelings of safety and security. This new gating is just the beginning of many more investments.
“We’re always working towards a cleaner, safer and greener Newark and Sherwood, and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve with our partners as the project progresses.”
Newark was the first area in the county to receive money from the fund in July 2020, when £550,000 was invested in street lighting, automatic number plate recognition cameras and additional police patrols.
A spokesman for Berkley Estates Ltd said: “It is great to see the gate installed and we are delighted to be able to work with Newark and Sherwood District Council and its Safer Street partners to ensure community safety in the area region to improve.”
