Steve Yemm MP: Neighbourhoods First: What the new report tells us about crime, cohesion and the future of places like Mansfield
A new report from the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods makes one thing clear: if we want to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB), we need to start with the places where those problems are most visible. And that includes towns like Mansfield.
The report highlights how crime and ASB are not evenly spread across the country. They are concentrated in a small number of neighbourhoods - typically the ones facing wider challenges like poor housing, weak local services, and high turnover of residents. The data confirms that the way a neighbourhood looks, feels and functions plays a direct role in shaping people’s safety, trust, and confidence in public services.
It also shows that enforcement alone isn’t enough. Effective neighbourhood policing is essential, but so too is long-term investment in the social fabric of communities - like shared spaces, trusted local leaders, and frontline capacity to engage and respond to what residents are telling us.
That’s why I believe that Mansfield District Council has to look seriously at using Article 4 Directions to better manage the spread of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). When the makeup of a neighbourhood changes rapidly and without local oversight, it can weaken community cohesion and increase pressures that contribute to ASB. Giving local leaders more control over these changes is one of the tools available, and it should be on the table here in Mansfield.
The report also stresses the importance of listening to residents - not just reacting to crime, but understanding how people experience their neighbourhoods. That’s something I’ve consistently raised in Parliament and in my work locally. Many of the concerns I hear are not just about individual incidents but about a growing sense that certain places are being left behind.
In response, we need to combine targeted enforcement with investment in neighbourhood design, visible maintenance, local engagement and better coordination between services. The aim is not just to respond to harm but to rebuild confidence in the places where people live.
Mansfield has strong communities. But the lesson from this report is that strength needs to be supported. Neighbourhoods matter - not just as sites of harm, but as the starting point for long-term safety, civic pride, and opportunity.