Commissioner Secures £1m Government Funding for Safer Streets

Published on: 2 Nov, 2023
Updated on: 3 Nov, 2023

PCC Lisa Townsend

Three communities in Surrey are set to receive a huge boost to their safety after Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend secured nearly £1m in the latest round of the government’s Safer Streets funding.

Projects in Guildford, as well as Redhill and Walton, will benefit from the Home Office cash after it was announced on Tuesday that the proposals submitted for the county earlier this year by the commissioner’s office have been successful.

Lisa Townsend said a number of planned measures will make all areas safer places to live and hailed the announcement as fantastic news for residents in those communities.

The grant is part of the fifth round of Safer Streets funding which has so far seen over £120 million shared across England and Wales for projects to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and make areas safer for women and girls.

Three bids totalling £992,232 were submitted by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office after working together with Surrey Police and borough and district council partners to identify areas most in need of investment and support.

The projects will now benefit from around £330,000 each and will be further boosted by an additional £720,000 in match funding from partners involved.

In Guildford theft, criminal damage, assault and substance misuse were identified as some of the key issues affecting their town centre.

Cllr Carla Morson

Guildford Borough Council’s lead councillor for Community and Organisational Development, Carla Morson (Lib Dem, Ash Vale), said: “This is very good news for Guildford. This funding will help us combat anti-social behaviour in our town centre.

“Potential measures we’re considering include, greater engagement with young people, the introduction of trained street marshals to patrol the town centre at weekends, and electronic message boards to share community safety messages.

“We’ll be working with our partners to prioritise our initiatives, create an action plan and move this important project forward.”

Previous Safer Streets funding has supported other similar projects across the county including in Woking, Stanwell, Godstone and Bletchingley, Epsom, Addlestone and Sunbury Cross.

The PCC said: “Safer Streets is a fantastic initiative that is making a real difference to our communities in Surrey so I am delighted that three more of our towns are set to benefit from this £1 million funding.

“Our residents regularly tell me they want to see anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood crime being tackled so this is really great news for those living and working in those areas.

“Whilst it is my office that submits the proposal to the Home Office, it is a real team effort together with Surrey Police and our colleagues in the borough and district councils to secure this funding which goes such a long way to improving safety for our residents.

“I will ensure my office continues to work with our partners to identify other areas that could benefit from this extra funding in the future.”

Ali Barlow, Surrey Police’s T/Assistant Chief Constable with responsibility for Local Policing, said: “I’m delighted that these bids were successful as we’ve seen through previous funding what a difference this support can make.

“Our neighbourhood policing teams already work closely with local authorities and other services to identify areas of concern in our communities and take appropriate action and this will only assist them further.

“The initiatives that are planned for Guildford, Redhill and Walton will help residents to be safe and feel safe as well as improve our public spaces which is something everyone will benefit from.”