£200k scheme to tackle town centre problems in Luton backed by council

Future town centre enforcement plans for Luton backed by a £200,000 borough council investment have been endorsed by its executive.

Three key elements to this approach have been identified to tackle issues, such as anti-social behaviour, begging and street drinking.

These are increasing the visible patrolling resources, problem-solving and a rise in case management approaches, with a focus on court orders for priority repeat offenders.

Labour Leagrave councillor and portfolio holder for neighbourhood services and community safety Maria Lovell told the executive: “The plan sets out extra enforcement measures relating to £200,000 growth funding agreed at full council in February.

“These are around increasing the number of visible patrolling resources to aid the prevention and detection of crime and anti-social behaviour, while also improving the feelings of public safety,” she said.

“The second measure is to recruit another anti-social behaviour case management officer to supervise repeat and priority perpetrators.

“The final step is to create a problem-solving fund which allows for location based interventions, such as out-of-hours operational activity.”

Labour Challney councillor Tom Shaw warned: “I think it’s been a complete failure by the council to take people to court.

“The flytipping crews caught people. They gathered the evidence. We’ve got hundreds of cases waiting to go to court.

“I hope some of this money can go to ensuring people who don’t pay on-the-spot fines are in court quickly because it seems we’re slower than any other local authority around us to do this.”

Liberal Democrat Barnfield councillor David Franks said: “The overview and scrutiny board was unanimously supportive of this.

“But there were strong feelings expressed that it won’t work unless there’s a significant enforcement of the begging and drink laws, and a similar uplift in the efforts to encourage these people to get involved with the help available to put their lives back together.”

Labour Saints councillor Javed Hussain asked: “Have we got any buy-in from the police to give us extra resource? Begging can’t be tackled by us alone.

“There are those who need help and support through drugs and alcohol, but also the professional beggars coming to our town and making people’s lives hell.”

Director neighbourhood services Sarah Hall replied: “Yes, this is a combined effort.”

Labour Limbury councillor Rob Roche wondered if the links extended to NOAH Enterprise, Keystage Housing and Signposts Luton, adding: “They develop communications and relationships with many of these people.”

Ms Hall said: “Absolutely. Enforcement is one action we can take to help as a deterrent in dealing with persistent offenders.

“We’ve got officers who liaise with the voluntary sector, as well as our drug and alcohol partners, because we’re trying to change people’s behaviours, while dealing with them when they’ve difficult positions in their lives.”

Labour Lewsey councillor Aslam Khan said: “We’re investing £20m in The Stage programme. Unless we get our act together that investment might be meaningless.

“We want to bring people into the town. So if we’ve begging and anti-social behaviour driving them out, we’d expect all the partners within our collaboration to step up.”