Major changes as part of Plymouth plagued by antisocial behaviour

Residents living in a part of Plymouth have said they felt 'unsafe' when walking their children to school, which has prompted big changes in the area.

Plymouth Community Homes has outlined a number of ways it has aimed to curb antisocial behaviour in Devonport alongside residents, following reports of issues of drug taking and alcohol abuse “happening on the streets in broad daylight”.

The housing association formed an action group with local residents to help address the problems in their neighbourhood. As a result, trees have been cut back to “increase visibility” and a bin shelter has been removed - as it was “creating a protected space” for antisocial behaviour (ASB).

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Residents and PCH staff had noticed that drug taking, vandalism and abusive behaviour was increasing in parts of Devonport - particularly in Granby Street and the surrounding area.

PCH put together an action group to help address the problems. Louise Turner, head of property, safety and environmental services at PCH, is leading the action group.

She said: “Residents didn’t feel safe walking their children to school or nursery, and were being verbally abused or threatened when they walked around their neighbourhood.

"We’ve been quick to act to make improvements where we could, and it’s great to see that these changes have already helped to reduce incidents of ASB, making it harder for people to access block stairwells or to carry out drug taking under the canopy of trees or inside the bin shelter.

“Now we want to work with some of our community partners to see what else can be done to help improve the environment for people living there. We take reports of ASB very seriously, and we are committed to creating communities where people want to live, and where they feel safe.

"It was really worrying to hear from some of our staff and residents in the Devonport area that they were seeing increased incidents of drug taking and alcohol abuse happening on the streets in broad daylight, and in the stairwells of our communal blocks.”

PCH is now “seeking support” from local community partners, stakeholders and organisations working in the area. Local people also reported being “verbally and physically abused by youths on the street” along with “windows being broken” and there being “vandalism, theft, and noise issues”.

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Residents asked for increased policing, more CCTV, better security around blocks and entrance areas, as well as other measures to improve the environment and local area. PCH carried out a group survey and 58% participating reported that they felt unsafe in their neighbourhood - everyone (100% of the group that PCH spoke to) said they had experienced ASB in the last year.

PCH took immediate action and has already carried out a number of steps to help address the issues, which have received positive feedback and helped improve the environment.

As well as demolishing the bin shelter and raising the tree canopy, the ‘trade buttons’ on communal block entrance doors were disconnected as were being “misused by people” to access the stairwells for “drug taking or antisocial behaviour”.

Communal block doors were also fixed so they “cannot be forced open”. PCH presence in the area has been increased, with housing officers now visiting once a week and “neighbourhood walkabouts” are held every three months.

The neighbourhood and PCH are also working with the local police to identify ways of increasing reporting of crime and “reviewing CCTV provision in the area”. The housing association is “encouraging more residents to report ASB” - both to the police and to PCH, so it can be addressed.

PCH is now “asking for support from its community partners to move forward with its work to improve the neighbourhood”. PCH tenants who need to report issues of ASB can find more information here. Residents who do not live in a PCH property need to report ASB to Plymouth City Council.