Clifton and Wilford Week of Action

Saturday 2nd to Saturday 9th June 2007

Saturday 2 June  |  Monday 4 June  |  Tuesday 5 June  |  Wednesday 6 June  |  Thursday 7 June  |  Friday 8 June  |  Saturday 9 June

Weeks of Action in Nottingham have proved a great success and are now being copied by other cities.  During the week a wide alliance of partner agencies and community groups get together to tackle as many problems of crime, anti-social behaviour and grime as possible, including working with the many residents who care for and take responsibility for their neighbourhood.

Many of the initiatives carried out during the week are preventative, such as protecting homes from burglary through Smartwater and providing additional litter bins, while others improve the general appearance of the area such as litter picks and the transforming of ‘grot spots’ areas that attract grime into more pleasant areas.  Enforcement action is also taken – both against serious criminals such as burglars but also for offences such as illegal parking.

The following is a diary of some of the key events of the Week of Action.

Throughout the week:

• Community Protection Officers are on enhanced patrol all week – not just providing reassurance but taking on the litter louts, tackling cycling on the pavements and challenging anti-social behaviour.  
• The Fire Service carries out home safety checks
• Daily litter picks are organised by The Neighbourhood Management Team and Street Scene in conjunction with Nethergate School staff and pupils around Central Park and surrounding area.
• Police carry out a series of intelligence led operations to tackle burglary and other crime.
• The Fire Service and Police visit schools in the area getting across issues of crime and safety to their young audiences
• The Crime and Drugs Partnership – the CDP – has been training people in the use of Smartwater. Volunteers from Neighbourhood Watch can now use the kits, as can officers from Nottingham City Homes and Street Scene.  Neighbourhood police and Community Protection Officers already have the know-how so it should be possible to meet the target for number of homes being ‘Smartwatered’!
• City Homes are looking at problem tenancies – letters are sent to tenants who aren’t paying their rent or causing a nuisance. This could mean eviction or demotion to a probationary tenancy.  Action is also being taken against tenants whose gardens have turned into eyesores.
• An additional 15 litter bins are sited around the estate after consultation with local residents.
• Areas where graffiti has been identified are tackled

Saturday 2nd

Street Scene toured part of the Clifton Estate to pick up unwanted bulky items from up to 500 properties.  The aim, in part, is to encourage residents to get rid of larger items from the household and garden that clutter up and detract from the appearance of the Estate.

Monday 4th

City Homes housing staff and Street Scene gardening staff alongside volunteers joined together to give the community garden at Southchurch Court flats a make over. The undergrowth is hacked back, garden furniture installed and residents now have a far more attractive garden to use.  

Police carry out a number of drugs searches – one leads to the seizure of  22 cannabis plants. There are also several arrests for drug possession

Work is started on painting the fence around Clifton’s Central or Flower Park – over the week a range of volunteers pitched in to upgrade the fence and the benches.

Tuesday 5th

Saving My Environment’ is the theme of assembly at Whitegate with Neighbourhood Management, Street Scene and City Homes organising a presentation with  prize giving to children who chose a brighter, attractive colour scheme for the sculptures at the entrances to the Nobel Road Estate. Street Scene organise the repainting during the week.

This is followed later in the morning by a litter pick around the school and in the neighbouring woods, greatly enjoyed by all of those involved including local volunteers.

By Tuesday, TV licensing have 27 prosecutions for evasion.

A road check day with VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency).  Cars and vans stopped and inspected - 15 potentially dangerous vehicles are prohibited as they are not safe to be driven, several more areallowed to proceed but only after safety problems have been addresse.  Ten vehicles are seized for no insurance / licence / tax offencesand around 50 fixed penalty notices issued.   In addition, a number of other offences are also picked up. .  

Green Lane Youth Club – work starts on an enormous mural on the wall overlooking the kick-about area.  Later in the week, young people will join Nathan to add detail and colour to the Clifton mural.

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Wednesday 6th

Iremonger’s Pond gets a clean up with volunteers from the Probation Service supervised by the local Street Scene Team

A truancy sweep picks up five children and returns them to school.

Police work with revenue inspectors on the 48 bus with 4 offences of fare evasion – the vast majority of travellers had valid tickets.

Youth Consultation is carried out by the Engagement Team, Youth Service and the Neighbourhood Management Team at the local Leisure Centre. As well as gathering the views and ideas of young people and their parents an extensive programme of activities is used to engage the participants.

Thursday 7th

More police seizure of cannabis plants and an arrest for possession.

Warrants for arrest are carried out - over the week 13 fine warrants are paid and 17 arrests made.

Parking control issue tickets in Clifton – targeted areas include the area around the Top Shops where residents complain about illegal parking.

Friday 8th

City Council Deputy Chief Executive, Adrienne Roberts, rolls up her sleeves and helps paint benches in Central Park.  

There is a last push on Smartwatering and Home Safety Checks.  

The Nobel Road signs are completed and the Central Park fence looks great but there is still some more to be done.

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Saturday 9th

Second round of bulk waste collection takes place across the Estate.

Lovells, builders carrying out Decent Homes work on the Estate, donate 5 skips for an initiative to get rid of rubbish fly tipped at the border of Nottingham City and Rushcliffe Council on the south west of the estate.

The Fire Service in conjunction with City Homes organise a charity fund raising event at the Leisure Centre offering amongst other things a car wash service for local car owners

Making it Happen

Clifton and Wilford Neighbourhood Management Team would like to thank the Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership for initiating the week of action and making it happen.  We would also like to thank all those who put in so much time and effort to make it a success in particular the volunteers from Neighbourhood Watch, from Nobel Road, from Whitegate and Nethergate Schools who brought not just time and effort but bucket-loads of enthusiasm too!

For more information about events in Clifton contact the Neighbourhood Management Team for contact details click here.

For more information contact Katy Follows, Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership  0115) 915 6383