New base on deprived Sutton estate could help council and police tackle crime

The Leamington Estate has one of the highest levels of deprivation in Nottinghamshire when it comes to education, employment, health and housing, according to the latest official figures.

It has also been exposed for high levels of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity, including illegal drugs associated with ‘county lines’ dealing and organised crime gangs.

A recent survey found that 54 per cent of Leamington residents wanted more patrols by police or community protection officers, while 21 per cent were so fed-up that they no longer had any confidence in Ashfield District Council’s community safety team or the local police.

To try and address this, the council has launched Operation Leamington in partnership with police officers, schools in the area, social workers, youth services and other organisations such as the Active Notts charity and the Children’s Society.

And now, as part of that operation, a bid is being made to set up an office base for council and police officers and other professionals in the middle of the estate to provide a visible presence on the frontline.

Sean Beastall, who is the partnerships and projects officer for the council’s community safety team, has submitted a planning application to convert a ground-floor flat at the Jephsons Buildings on Jephson Road, in a prime location directly opposite the shops on the estate.

The flat was the subject of a closure order notice in October. The multi-agency community base would be created by turning the flat’s lounge and bathroom into offices, while the kitchen and bathroom and hallway would remain as they are.

The idea has already met with opposition from a neighbour, who has posted this comment on the council’s website: “There’s a housing crisis and people want to be re-housed, so to turn a flat into an office is totally unacceptable.”

However, Mr Beastall is convinced the project could work and has outlined his thinking in a planning statement to accompany the application.

He says: “Surveys have identified the top five issues on the Leamington Estate as illegal drugs and drug-dealing; speeding vehicles, including e-scooters and bikes; vandalism and criminal damage; littering and fly-tipping; and animal issues, including dog-fouling.

"Operation Leamington brings stakeholders together to identify the children and young people causing these issues, to develop plans to address them and to monitor outcomes.

"The community base would provide a visible presence and enable more effective partnership-working to deter anti-social behaviour and crime.

"We would be able to combine resources with other partners to make a bigger impact and deal with issues more quickly and more efficiently.

"The office would also enable officers to get involved in other local initiatives on the estate.”

Mr Beastall says the project would run for 18 months and would be evaluated throughout to measure its success and pinpoint the improvements that were needed.

"The desired outcome is to see a reduction in anti-social behaviour and crime,” he went on.

"But we also want to increase residents’ feelings of safety, build their confidence and trust and provide support for vulnerable residents.

"The base could link into other projects on the estate and create a model that can be used in other areas.”

The council’s planning officers are currently considering the proposal and have set a deadline date of Monday, February 9 for a decision or recommendation.

THE details of many planning applications can be found in public notices advertised by local and regional newspapers. To catch up on all the latest public notices, go to https://publicnoticeportal.uk/