Has the Safer Streets Fund helped Wellingborough's Hemmingwell estate?

Last year more than £400,000 was awarded to the Hemmingwell estate as part of the government's Safer Streets Fund

Last year more than £400,000 was awarded to the Hemmingwell estate as part of the government's Safer Streets Fund. The money was spent on crime reduction measures. Has the Safer Streets funding helped?

Those who live in the Hemmingwell estate in Wellingborough know it has a reputation for crime and its fair share of issues.

In 2021, the estate was given hundreds of thousands of pounds for new CCTV cameras and new front doors.

The money was also used to fund more frequent shearing of the area's shrubbery to prevent the hiding of drugs.

Crime and policing minister Kit Malthouse says the Safer Streets fun is a "key part of the formula of getting overall crime down"

On Thursday, the estate was visited by the crime and policing minister Kit Malthouse.

He says the improvements were "the sort of thing that [residents] have been asking for for a long time".

"We know that 50% of burglaries happen because homes are insecure," he says.

"We know we can reduce street robbery and violence by having better street lighting and CCTV, these are the kind of passive measures we can take to help to protect people from crime, at the same time as boosting the number of police officers enormously."

Police, fire and crime commissioner for Northamptonshire, Stephen Mold, says "evidence is already showing that crime is down"

"We have seen first-hand how important the Safer Streets funding has been here [in Northamptonshire]," says Stephen Mold, the county's police, fire and crime commissioner.

"We've issued thousands of home security packs to residents, installed new CCTV cameras across the county to deter criminal behaviour, have erected alley gates to cut off anti-social behaviour and are installing new doors to improve security at residential properties.

"In the early stages our evidence is already showing that crime is down, together with the other things we're doing, burglary across the whole of Northants is down 47%."

"For some of these left behind communities - it's really making a difference to them."

Do those living on the estate agree?

'It makes the area feel better'

Gilbert Christopher hopes that improving the area will make residents want to keep it looking nice

Gilbert Christopher grew up on the estate and is now both a resident and works for the housing association Greatwell Homes.

He says seeing money put into the community will "lift the community spirit".

"If you look at its history, it's been neglected," he says.

"People used to say nothing's being done... now people are actually caring and showing that they care by putting money in.

"Now that somebody actually wants to do something with the estate, it will make people start feeling a bit more wanted and cared about instead of being neglected."

He hopes that improving the area will make residents want to keep it looking nice.

"It makes the area feel better, it makes the area look a bit more fresh... hopefully people can see that, and take from that and want to join in and keep their area tidy. " he says.

"[Also] the crime rate is very high in the area and hopefully the cameras going in will help minimise the crime.

"With the cameras, it's like I can let [my child] go out now, before I'd keep them in just to make sure that they're safe. "

'Crime is always going to happen'

Terry White says people will not stop committing crime because they can't hide their stuff in a bush

"When I was growing up it was fun," says Terry White, who has lived on the estate his entire life.

"Now not everybody knows everybody," he says. "When I was growing up, you knew most people around here, now most people keep themselves to themselves, it's like different communities within a community."

He is not impressed by the improvements and says they are not going to make any difference to crime rates.

"Speak to a group of criminals," he says, "how many of them are going to say, 'you know what, I'm stopping crime now because I can't hide behind the door, I can't hide my stuff in a bush, I can't hide behind a tree', how are they going to stop crime because of that?

"They aren't - so [people] need to look at things realistically."

He adds these types of changes have not helped in the past.

"They've done these things before.

"Not in such a big way," he says, "but they've done it all before and has it stopped crime?

"No it hasn't, crime's going to always happen, it's the state of the country, people are living in poverty... if you can't get a good wage for a good standard of living, if you don't feel your government or council is taking notice of you, what is there left for you to do?"

'The community is brilliant'

Anne Skeen loves living on the Hemmingwell estate

Anne Skeen has lived on the estate for 22 years and is more positive.

"I love living here, the community is brilliant," she says.

"It does have its issues, it's always had a reputation - for being a bit rough, a bit crime orientated - but I think it's now losing its reputation.

"The estate has got a drug problem, it always has had - but with the new CCTV put in place, I'm really hoping that that will improve both the police presence and also the police knowing what's going on around here."

She adds that the changes have "made a difference".

"The new front doors make the estate look better, make it more inviting for people and to put money into the CCTV is absolutely brilliant," she says.

'I wouldn't stay here my whole life'

Nubia Theron says the crime rate is the main factor in her wanting to move away

Now in her first year at university, 21-year-old Nubia Theron has lived in the estate since birth but she is not sure she wants to stay.

"It's just your average council estate," she says. "I think it's OK and I don't feel too threatened but I'm sometimes a bit scared to go out at night time," she says.

"But I've been used to it my whole life, it's been fine but I would obviously like to get out, I wouldn't stay here my whole life.

"The whole CCTV camera thing is a really good idea, I wouldn't mind that installed in more areas of this community.

"It just depends where they put it - if we're going to be heavily monitored, it does feel like they're intruding a little bit."