Hucknall councillor reacts to public claims 'five-point crime plan' isn't being implemented

In July, Coun John Wilmott, Ashfield Council Ashfield Independents member for Hucknall North, launched a five-point plan of action to deal with crime and anti-social behaviour in and around the St Mary’s Way and George Street areas of the ward he represents.

It came after a firebrand public meeting at George Street Working Men’s Club, where councillors and police were given a torrid time by furious residents demanding more was done to tackle rising crime in the area.

Following on from that, your Dispatch reported on Coun Wilmott’s five-point plan for tackling the crime issue.

This included increased police patrols and additional community engagement to reassure residents for the foreseeable future, a new ‘services day’ to bring the police, community protection officers, environment teams and fire service staff together, the council working with residents to set up a community-led Neighbourhood Watch scheme and the police will produce a regular community newsletter aimed at informing residents of their ongoing work and step up their social media activity.

Coun Wilmott said at the time: “This is just the start of action and we’re looking to allocate funding to deal with some of the major issues raised last week.

“This includes a Safer Streets funding bid, improved CCTV and improved community engagement.”

Recent actions have a seen a drugs and anti-social hotspot house on St Mary’s Way being shut by the police and council for six months.

The council has also secured £100,000 from various funding sources, including the Safer Streets Initiative, for proposals including more CCTV and lighting in the town town.

However, councillors have continued to face criticism from residents, who say none of the other aspects of the plan talked about by Coun Wilmott are happening.

One claimed there “didn't seem to be much evidence of anything occurring”.

Another said: “This problem hasn't been solved, it's simply been kicked further down the road.”

But Coun Wilmott said this was not the case and a lot of work had already been done behind the scenes.

He said: “The extension of the closure order on St Mary’s Way is great news for the local community.

“The police and community protection team continue to work together and are monitoring other properties in the area.

“We have been working solidly to ensure that more police resources come to Hucknall.

“The property where the closure order was served was identified as a crime catalyst and shut down after we worked together to provide the evidential case.

“In the past few months, a significant amount of money has been secured by the council to improve CCTV, lighting and we continue working with other parts of the Hucknall community to make it a safer place to live and work.

"Extra patrols have been ongoing and community engagement has been improved dramatically.”

"The reality remains, however, that the council is not the police.

"We have asked time and time again for the £1 million raised from the sale of Hucknall’s old police station to be reinvested in our town, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.”