Partnership to boost alley gate fund

Royton, Shaw & Crompton District Partnership VULNERABLE homes and businesses in Royton and Shaw are to benefit from a much-needed cash injection.

Residents, commercial and voluntary organisations who have become victims of burglary are getting a slice of a Crime Reduction Project.

Councillors approved £30,000 for the scheme which will see a chunk of the money towards the installation of several alleygate schemes, which will be approved at a later date.

The gates are designed to tackle issues of burglary, fly-tipping and littering and have been used widely throughout the borough.

Crime levels have reduced resulting from the alleygates and approximately a dozen more schemes have been requested.

Area Neighbourhoods Manager, Jan Joshi, said: “The project will look at helping vulnerable businesses in the voluntary sector and with insurance premiums going sky high, and loss of stock, because of burglaries, they are struggling.”

Last year, 15 premises were planned to receive help in the ‘target hardening’ process — but through its success, 28 properties were given assistance.

Funding for helping residents who have been repeat victims of burglaries has gone through the Community Safety Services, who have worked on a project called Secure Homes.

In the last financial year 123 dwellings in the area received help in improving their security.

Funding has now been slashed by from £153,000 to £50,000.

Through the financial input of the Royton, Shaw and Crompton District Partnership, the project can continue in the area.