Press Releases
“Problem solved” as council installs gate on blighted alley (PR 933)
Business owners in Southall yesterday celebrated the installation of a new gate to shut off a rear delivery alley blighted by drunks, drug users and fly-tippers.
The gate was handed over to business representatives yesterday morning by Ealing Council’s Leader, Councillor Jason Stacey, on behalf of the council’s community safety team.
Cllr Stacey was joined by Sergeant Shahid Malik, of Southall Broadway Safer Neighbourhood team, Southall Broadway ward councillors Jagdish Gupta, Zahida A-Noori and Manjit Singh, and the council’s community safety liaison and envirocrime officers.
The high, galvanised steel gates are fitted at the entrance of the service alley behind a row of shops on South Road (just off Cambridge Road).
Cllr Stacey said: “For far too long this rear alley has been a haven for drunks, drug users, drug dealers, fly-tipping and other anti-social behaviour.
“These businesses should not have to put up with these threatening people and the muck they leave behind.
“This gate will make a huge difference for adjoining businesses and nearby residents. Making our communities safer is one of the council’s three priorities and we will continue to pursue similar initiatives and crack down on criminal and anti-social behaviour across the borough.”
The council’s other two priorities are cleaner streets and providing value for money services.
Funded by the borough’s Community Payback Scheme, the project was implemented by community safety liaison officer Tan Afzal in partnership with local businesses.
San Oo has owned the Albaraka Market, a halal meat and grocery
store which backs on to the alley, for around two years. He said
the alley had been a magnet for problems throughout that time, and
that he and his staff were forced to clean the area regularly.
“The problem is solved now and this area is safer. The
gate is good,” he said. “It was a real meeting area and there was
drinking, fighting and smoking (drugs).”
Another business owner said the alley was often littered with bottles, cans and general rubbish, while some people would use the alley as a toilet.
Note for editors:
· Ealing’s Community Payback Scheme - a joint initiative between Ealing Council, London Probation and Ealing Police - was launched in June 2005. Under the scheme, offenders carry out unpaid work in a bid to repay residents.