North Devon street marshal schemes future depends on funding

North Devon Council had financed the marshals for the last six months

A street marshals scheme that has helped to reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Barnstaple could continue if funding of £200,000 is approved.

The scheme was rolled out as part of Safer Streets - aimed at tackling ASB and violence against women and girls.

North Devon Council has financed the marshals for the last six months after government funding ran out.

Councillors have been asked to make the scheme part of the council's budget for next year.

The marshals - in place since July 2022 - deal with early signs of ASB and also gather intelligence, enforce a Public Spaces Protection Order, provide first aid and a link to council and police teams by using the existing town centre radio network.

Their medical assistance is believed to have saved the NHS more than £10,000 and cut ASB by a third in 2023, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Police said the presence of the two marshals, who had the same powers as police community support officers, was "reassuring" in the town centre and they were "a great asset".

Members of the council's strategy and resources committee, who will decide whether to continue financing the marshals at their meeting next month, were told by their chief finance officer this week that the council was "in a good financial position".

They were told a budget gap of £1m for 2024/25 had been reduced to zero without cutting services to the public.