Successful Essex community projects receive more than £1m of PFCC funds to create safer streets and communities

Posted on Wednesday 14th December

More than £1m of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner funding has been approved for communities to make streets and public spaces safe and secure.

The PFCC’s Local Safer Streets Fund round two has made a huge £1,093,866 available to communities to improve street safety.

The new round of funding follows successful round one bids to the PFCC Local Safer Streets Fund, which saw just under £400k invested in safer streets projects in Harlow and Clacton.

Round two makes further funding available, particularly targeting areas that have not yet accessed local or national Safer Streets grants.

Areas approved to receive funding are Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Maldon and Rochford.

On top of this £300,000 has been awarded to Essex Police and the Vision Zero road  campaign to be used across the county. This money will be used to combat anti-social behaviour on the roads and speed enforcement in identified high priority areas.

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex said: “Safe and secure communities are the bedrock on which we build success, prosperity and well-being for all.

“I am delighted to allocate Local Safer Streets fund round two to improve the lighting, CCTV, install safety measures and support awareness campaigns in key hotspots across Essex.

“We aim for no person to feel unsafe in their community or in public, but we have a particular focus on the safety of women and girls. All these projects will build community safety in our county.”

The PFCC’s local Safer Streets Fund round two complements and builds on the success of the Government’s national Safer Streets funding which has seen investment of almost £3m in six areas of Essex: Waltham Abbey, Witham, Chelmsford, Grays, Colchester (city centre) and Colchester (Greenstead).

Independent evaluation of all Safer Streets programmes shows improvement activities have enhanced the perception of crime and safety in areas that were awarded investment.

The allocation of Safer Streets Funding also sits alongside other funding routes such as Grip funding, the PFCC’s Minerva Fund, ASB hotspot funding and the Community Safety Development Fund (CSDF).

The PFCC is keen to continue this investment in initiatives and activities that improve safety and will continue to invest further rounds of Local Safer Streets Funding. Groups that might be interested in accessing this funding should approach their local Community Safety Partnership.

The full list of projects receiving PFCC Local Safer Streets Funding round two is:

• Halstead in Braintree district, will receive £600 to complement the national Safer Streets funding approved in this area. This money will be used by the town Neighbourhood Watch to expand coverage of the Safer Streets measures made possible by the Government funding by printing leaflets and handing out security measures.
• Brentwood district has been awarded £207,253.84 for Solar Powered CCTV in Navestock and CCTV in Brentwood Town Centre. The money will also be used to buy bleed kits for distribution around the district, train taxi ambassadors and back up campaigns to create a safer environment for women.
• Chelmsford district has been awarded £193,715.97. This money will be used for consultation activity in Central Park and Broomfield Park asking women what can be done to make both parks safer.  New CCTV cameras will be placed in The Avenues, Chelmsford and Chelmsford Cathedral grounds will see improved benches.
• Three projects in Maldon district have been awarded funds from the PFCC’s Local Safer Streets fund.

1. A new skate park in Maldon’s Promenade Park has been awarded £132,250. This money will go to project management, design and installation, lighting, a youth shelter, CCTV, street art and a social space for young girls.
2. £40,873 is awarded for CCTV installation and monitoring in Burnham On Crouch. The CCTV cameras are planned for the High Street and Quayside and Burnham Rail Station and some of the funds will be used to create CCTV Broadband to the Chelmsford CCTV management hub.
3. Also in Maldon district, £16,000 has been awarded to a district-wide Women’s Safety Project which includes safety training for schools, business and transport operators.

• In Rochford district, £119,423.96 has been awarded to Rayleigh for community safety measures which include Taxi Marshals, Bleed Kits, Bar ‘n’ Bus youth outreach work and contributions to an Essex Police anti-burglary campaign and a further campaign to change perceptions of violence against Women and Girls.