Cumbria has taken an important step towards building safer and stronger communities, including new action plans for some of the county's most deprived areas.
The new Safer and Stronger Communities Fund Agreement outlines key crime reduction targets as well as identifying areas which will receive additional funding.
Some of the new agreed crime reduction targets include:
- To reduce the number of people who fear anti-social behaviour from 60% last year to 55% by 2007.
- To increase the number of people who feel safe when out alone in the dark from 26% last year to 30% by 2007.
- To double the number of convictions against Class A drug suppliers.
- To reduce the number of deliberate fires from 2,252 in 2004/5 to 1,914 over the next year.
The agreement also lays out an agenda for developing cleaner and greener public spaces. Agreed targets in this area include:
- To reduce the proportion of land suffering from litter, graffiti, fly posting or fly tipping from 21% in 2004/5 to 18% over the next year.
- To increase the amount of household waste recycled from 13.5% in 2004/5 to 17.5% over the next year.
- To double the number of parks and open spaces with Green Flag awards from 2 to 4 over the next year.
The agreement has detailed financial support packages from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Neighbourhood Renewal Unit. It has outlined areas in Cumbria that fall within the top 3% of deprivation across Britain.
Specific areas of need have been identified as follows:
Barrow: Hindpool and Central wards are receiving £413,000 for a new neighbourhood management team and community policing initiative. Hindpool and Central wards are also receiving £970,000 for environmental improvements including street lighting, new alleygates, tree planting and restoring derelict sites.
West Cumbria: The Moss Bay, Moorclose, Westfield and Salterbeck wards in South Workington will receive a total £413,000 to develop a new neighbourhood management team.
Likewise, £413,000 has been donated by the ODPM for a new neighbourhood management team in South Whitehaven, covering the wards of Sandwith, Kells, Mirehouse, Greenbank and Hensingham.
A further £970,000 has been set aside for environmental improvements in South Workington and South Whitehaven - these include new mechanical road sweepers, a fly tipping response team and a white goods collection scheme.
The final aim of the new agreement is to empower local people to have a greater voice and influence over local decision making and the delivery of services.
"This agreement lays down the law in terms of the way various organisations should be working together to tackle problems such as drugs, domestic violence, arson and anti-social behaviour," said Councillor Geoff Hodgson, cabinet member responsible for public protection.
"It's a wide-ranging document that covers issues such as road safety as well - with clear targets on how to significantly reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Cumbria's roads.
“The financial support for some of the county’s most deprived areas will make a real difference. Teams of people will be able to work on the ground at the heart of the communities, spotting problems and coming up with solutions to make them a better place to live,” said Councillor Hodgson.