Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Safer Streets improvements take place in Balderton to tackle anti-social behaviour, in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police, Newark and Sherwood District Council and Balderton Parish Council

The first measures to improve safety and security for village residents have been installed thanks to Safer Streets project funding.

The funding in Balderton is going towards a number of initiatives including improved lighting and CCTV, attitude and behaviour change sessions, and raising awareness for reporting anti-social behaviour.

The project is a partnership between the Nottinghamshire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Newark and Sherwood District Council and Balderton Parish Council.

Environmental improvements are also included in the programme and as part of this the first share of the funding has gone towards new bins and benches at Coronation Street Park at Balderton Lake to help reduce littering.

These improvements have been included in the project to target and reduce what is known as the broken windows theory, which suggests that that if an area has littering, graffiti or visible signs of vandalism around it, it will often serve to attract other crime and anti-social behaviour.

In November it was announced that Nottinghamshire was going to be awarded almost £1 million through the Safer Streets 5 project and as part of this Balderton would receive a share of that funding to help tackle neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.

This is the fourth time the Newark area has benefitted from Safer Streets funding and over £1 million has been invested towards a safer Newark and Sherwood from the scheme to date.

Paul Taylor, portfolio holder for public protection and community relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “We have already achieved significant results through our Safer Streets projects, and it is fantastic to see the work beginning in Balderton for Safer Streets 5.

“Improving community safety and security are the very core focus of the programme of work we have planned as part of the project, and I am looking forward to seeing the progress we make.

“The Safer Streets Project is a great example of our successful partnership working and our commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour and crime.

“In addition to this project there are some great things in the pipeline to help make our residents feel safer including our recent expansion of the Anti-Social Behaviour Team, enhancing and improving our CCTV network and more. We will continue to push forward with this work to create a safer Newark and Sherwood.”

Jane Buxton, chairman of Balderton Parish Council, said: “Hopefully, by working together as a partnership with our Safer Street partners and by pooling our local knowledge and experience, the outcomes will be more beneficial for our community.

“The parish council are so pleased to see the first installations as part of the Safer Streets project coming to fruition.

“As we move forward with these plans, I sincerely hope our residents soon start seeing the benefits of this project, with a reduction in anti-social behaviour and feel safer when out and about in Balderton.”

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Caroline Henry, said: “It was a pleasure to visit beautiful Balderton recently to speak with partners on the Safer Streets interventions coming to the area, thanks to the additional funding we’ve secured through the Home Office.

“We know there have been some troubles in the area with antisocial behaviour, particularly around the park area. That is why the addition of new high-quality CCTV as well as environmental improvements such as new bins and benches will make a massive difference to feelings of safety to the people of Balderton.

“This also marks the first time we’re working alongside a Parish Council as well as a District Council in addition to our partners at Nottinghamshire Police. Safer Streets is an amazing opportunity for us to collaborate and build lasting partnerships locally all while working together to make our communities even safer.”

Inspector Charlotte Ellam, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, said: “I am aware that anti-social behaviour is consistently a concern for the community and has a significant impact on the lives of local residents and businesses.

“We have already seen some great successes through the Safer Streets project, and I am pleased to see that Balderton is benefitting.

“We will continue to work hard, in partnership with both the district and parish council to ensure that this funding is used effectively to make some lasting changes that will benefit the whole community.”

District councillors Johno Lee and Emma Oldham, representing Balderton North and Coddington, praised said they were delighted by the funding which would have positive impacts on the lives of residents.

Residents are reminded to report incidents whether as victims or witnesses, and if the need is urgent to call the police on 999 or non-urgent cases on 101.

Anti-social behaviour issues can also be reported via the district council website.