Torbay Council are working with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) in a bid to secure £750,000 of funding to reduce anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls in the public spaces across Torbay,
If the bid is successful it is thought it could mean an increase in CCTV coverage and 24 hour street lighting as well as supporting additional initiatives to help provide safety and security for the night-time economy.
The application is due to be submitted in the coming week and Torbay Council will know in June if the bid has been successful.
ASB, Anti Social Behaviour, has been more focused in the Castle Circus area of Torquay in recent months and as such Torbay Council have been working with partners to begin improving the area as a whole.
In a collaborative effort between Torbay Council, Devon and Cornwall Police, the OPCC and wider partners solutions are being looked into.
£200k already available
Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez has already made £200,000 available to tackle ASB and drug taking within the Torbay area and is now asking for additional government funding.
Alongside the ASB funding, Torbay Council has applied for funding from the Rough Sleeper initiative to address the problem of homelessness across Torbay,.
Torbay Council’s outreach partners work with rough sleepers to help get them off the streets for good and into accommodation and assists with preventing homelessness In the first place.
Finally the two town centre offices, who regularly patrol Torquay, Paignton and Brixham town centres, sign post vulnerable people to help and challenge anti-social behaviour where it is occurring.
Councillor Christine Carter, Torbay Council’s Member for Corporate and Community Services said:
“We’re committed to making Torbay a safer and more pleasant place to live, work and visit. We all want to feel safe when we’re walking around.
“We will continue to work with partners to find the best ways to do this, but we also want to hear from members of the public.
“We would encourage people to take part in the survey we’re currently running with the OPCC. This specifically asks people how safe they feel in Torquay town centre.
“The results will help us to determine our priorities for addressing community safety in Torquay.”
Darren Cowell, Deputy Leader of Torbay Council added:
“Now that lockdowns have finished and the weather is getting better, people will understandably want to be out and about in our town centres in the evenings more. It’s vital they feel safe, particularly women and girls, which is why we’re applying for this funding.”
“If successful, we hope to introduce a number of safety measures, which will sit alongside the partnership work we’re already doing to reduce anti-social behaviour in our town centres.”
Alison Hernandez, summarised
“ASB is one of four priorities identified in my police and crime plan because it impacts so many people.
“It can lead to community tensions and have a significant effect on people’s health, wellbeing and their daily quality of life. The police, local authorities, other agencies and our communities need to work together to find solutions and stop persistent and severe ASB from blighting our communities.
“I have committed to putting funding in place to back these efforts and will continue to draw on resources wherever possible to support this work.”
The Torquay Town Centre survey has been put together on behalf of Torbay’s Community Safety Partnership for those who are keen to ensure their efforts are in response to the issues that matter most to people.
Your answers to the survey will help shape future plans and work, as well as influence how the partnership secures funds.
Complete the survey here, it is open until the 15th May 2022
