Doncaster 'crime hotspot' to benefit from over £500,000 of Home Office money

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

Welcoming the announcement, deputy mayor Coun Glyn Jones who represents Hexthorpe on DMBC, said 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.

The package of money will also include improved street lighting.

Deputy Mayor Coun Jones,, said: “Doncaster Council and its partners welcome this significant and much needed funding to help improve the Hexthorpe community.

“For too long now, residents have felt unsafe and perhaps intimidated in and around their homes. As well as the materialistic benefits e.g. improved street lighting and CCTV cameras, we are hopeful that, ultimately, the locals feel a sense of ownership and pride in their area.”

Funding has come 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.

Dr Billings said: “This is good news and a very significant amount of money for Doncaster. The funding will go some way in combating house burglary and other crimes in Hexthorpe, making the streets safer and helping people feel more comfortable in their own community.

“The funding application was made after reviewing police data and following feedback from the community in Hexthorpe. They were asked what would make them feel safer and overwhelmingly people said that they wanted to feel ownership and pride in their community. With this in mind we applied for the funding and were successful in our bid.

“We will now work with South Yorkshire Police and the local authority to ensure that the community see the results.”

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