Government awards £448k to tackle crime in High Town

The Safer Streets Fund is a Home Office scheme administered through Police Crime Commissioners (PCC).

It is intended to help transform residential areas with high levels of burglary and theft, which often lead to other issues such as environmental crime and anti-social behaviour.

The project will be run by Luton Borough Council with oversight from the Beds PCC's office and supported by Bedfordshire Police, as well as other supporting agencies.

The Luton bid focused on delivering the following initiatives around community safety in the High Town area, to help prevent crime and anti-social behaviour:

> Upgrading street lighting;

> Additional CCTV in key areas;

> Neighbourhood Watch schemes;

> Gating problem areas;

Cllr Jacqui Burnett, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, said: “High Town is a vibrant residential area of Luton, and the council and Bedfordshire Police have been working with partners and the local community to tackle concerns they have raised about environmental issues and anti-social behaviour issues in the area.

“This has included the development of a joint action group, conducting engagement days with residents and businesses, community clean ups and increasing resources in the area. Being successful in obtaining the Safer Street Fund means that a number of sustainable initiatives can be implemented, to improve the area in the long term for the benefit of local residents and visitors.”

The council is committed to delivering this project by the April 2021.

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Kathryn Holloway celebrated the success of the bid, as well as that of a second bid for Midland Road in Bedford.

Mrs Holloway stated: "It’s almost unheard of for a PCC and her team to win more than one bid into such community funds and this reflects the incredible amount of work put into both bids by my chief of staff, Clare Kelly, and Antonina Belcheva who works on grants’ bids for me.

"They very closely liaised with the local authorities' heads of community safety who really got behind the bids with innovative ideas, especially around the sort of technology that can help residents to be safer...

“I’m absolutely delighted that within a month of winning £48,000 from the Ministry of Defence in bids to tackle domestic abuse, my office has been successful once again with landing the evidence of genuine need here in Bedfordshire."

Further details will be announced about the project in coming months. The OPCC will be working closely with the Home Office, attending relevant workshops, to ensure the money is spent to best effect. There will be opportunities for residents and businesses in the areas of Midland Road and High Town to share their views and be involved in the project design and implementation.

Residents and community associations wanting to engage with the Safer Streets projects can contact the OPCC on [email protected].