Safer Streets partners bid for more money to improve Brookside
Telford & Wrekin Council, West Mercia Police and the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner have this week applied to the Home Office for another £275k to fund additional work to make Brookside even safer.
The Brookside Safer Streets project was launched on 2 November, following a successful bid for £550k at the end of the summer which will see a package of measures introduced to improve the lives of residents.
Better street lighting, new CCTV, alley-gating, home security measures and environmental improvements are among the current proposals to help residents feel safer and prevent crime from happening.
During the ongoing consultation, residents who have responded so far are largely very supportive of the proposals. A number have asked for the measures to be extended further and suggested ideas for what else they think will help make a difference.
Suggestions include more landscaping to make it harder for criminals to hide, including in areas where the land ownership is unclear; additional street lighting; more CCTV cameras; and general repairs of existing fencing where ownership is unclear. As well as these physical enhancements, people have asked for more to be done to brighten Brookside. So the extra funding would also pay for additional focused cleansing to remove graffiti, street power washing and greater enforcement for fly tipping, litter and dog fouling.
Cllr Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for enforcement, community safety and customer services, said: “It has been really good to see this project get underway. If our second bid is successful, the extra grant would increase the total budget to £825,000 – meaning we can do so much more to make Brooksiders feel safer and happier in their community.”
Inspector Sean Brennan, who heads up Brookside’s Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “We’re really pleased with the progress the project has made so far and that residents are getting involved and having their say. They’ve made some really good suggestions which, hopefully if our funding bid is successful, we will be able to develop further. There is still time to take part in the consultation and I would encourage any residents who have not already done so to let us know what they think.”
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion added: “Additional funds for this project will allow so much more to be achieved, and will greatly help towards the work being done to make this community safer. I have been pleased that the Government has recently announced its strengthened commitment to making our streets safer by cracking down on crime, as it supports the work we are doing together here in Brookside.”
The partners hope it won’t be long before they hear if their additional bid is successful. In the meantime, residents can have their say on the plans for making Brookside a safer, better place here.
