The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Residents of a Spalding housing estate highlighted anti-social behaviour that’s affecting their lives at a public meeting last week.
Fed up residents around Severn Road called the gathering as they felt the issues weren’t being heard or dealt with.
South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John Hayes, and representatives from South Holland District Council, including portfolio holder for communities Coun Tracey Carter heard from residents claiming they’d been the victims of threatening and abusive behaviour.
Concerns were raised that particular homes of vulnerable people on Severn Road had been specifically targeted and were harbouring illegal activity.
South Holland District Council’s community safety and enforcement manager Dee Bedford told the meeting the authority had been investigating.
In 2021 a two-year Partial Closure Order was placed on a particular property where activity known as ‘cuckooing’ was taking place but that order had finished.
The meeting heard potential ideas on how to combat anti-social behaviour with residents speaking both for and against putting CCTV in the area.
Residents expressed widespread disappointment that nobody from the police was at the meeting.
A representative from Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones’ office was meant to attend, but residents were told on the day that a Lincolnshire Police representative would come instead, but nobody arrived. South Holland District Coun Rob Gibson told the meeting part of the problem were cuts to PCSOs and police numbers.
Sir John said he had spoken to the Prime Minister about this issue a couple of weeks ago.
“Even though I agree, with the resources they have got they need to use them as best they can.
“Over the last few years there’s become a reluctance to do what I would call regular neighbourhood beats.
“A lot of the problem is they’re not there every day.”
He also called for anyone who has broken their tenancy agreements on the largely council-owned housing estate to be thrown out.
Speaking after the meeting, organiser Karen Wilkins said Sir John had secured a meeting for residents with police officers.
“It achieved what we wanted which was to raise awareness,” she said.
* At the meeting, the district council announced new court action with an interim civil injunction taken out in relation to four people named as Donna Pleasance, Kelly Dye, Jonathon Taylor and Mia Rock.
They are all banned from Severn Road, Nene Court, Wensum Close and Thames Road in Spalding.
They must not cause harassment, alarm or distress in Severn Road, Nene Court and Wensum Close or threaten anyone in the area.
They are also banned from obtaining money or benefits from anyone not related to them. The ban includes removing property from named individuals.
Rock’s order has an additional stipulation with a power of arrest if found to be in breach of any of the clauses within the injunction.
