Doncaster estate set for dozens of new alley gates

Officers have identified 13 streets in Hexthorpe where the gates will go. Some, which are already there, will be replaced with new ones.

The roads which will receive new gates include; Hexthorpe Road, Abbott Street, Spansyke Street, Ellerker Avenue, Stoneclose Avenue, Lindum Street, Urban Road, Ramsden Road, Kirk Street, Denison Road, Crimpsall Road, Sheardown Street and Flowitt Street.

The council has received a pot of funding from the South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner to tackle anti-social activities such as fly-tipping and the new gates will aim to go some way to address issues locally.

The installation, which will affect 517 properties in Hexthorpe, has the backing of South Yorkshire Police who said gates of this kind are ‘proven by academic research’ to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

Eamonn Larkin, Designing out Crime/Crime Reduction Officer at South Yorkshire Police, said; “The Police Designing Out Crime team has no objections or comments to make in relation to the design, layout, and security of this property.

“The installation of alley gates within an area is proven by academic research to assist in the reduction of crime and anti-social behaviour. South Yorkshire Police fully support this application.”

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings handed the Safer Streets project in Hexthorpe £549,964 to fund improvements in the community in July 2020.

Deputy mayor Coun Glyn Jones who represents Hexthorpe on DMBC, said at the time that residents for too long had ‘felt unsafe’ and ‘intimidated’ in and around their homes.

The money will be used to provide better CCTV and improve the look of the area by refurbishing communal spaces.

Funding came from the Home Office which offered PCCs from across England and Wales the opportunity to bid for the funding from a £25million scheme which aims to crack down on burglary and theft in crime hotspots across the country.

The alley gate plans were uploaded to the DMBC planning portal by officers for residents to view.

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