Anti-social behaviour meeting

[Editor]

Council leaders and police have arranged a public meeting in order to give local residents an opportunity to express their views on anti-social behaviour in the area.

The event, designed to be an ‘open discussion, is being staged at St Mary’s School, Welham Green, on Wednesday 8 August.

Click here for more details.

The Home Office describes anti-social behaviour as 'a variety of behaviour covering a whole complex of selfish and unacceptable activity that can blight the quality of community life.'

Examples include:

• nuisance neighbours
• rowdy and nuisance behaviour
• yobbish behaviour and intimidating groups taking over public spaces
• vandalism, graffiti and fly-posting
• people dealing and buying drugs on the street
• people dumping rubbish and abandoning cars
• begging and anti-social drinking
• the misuse of fireworks

Click here for the Home Office page on anti-social behaviour.

[Cassie]

Maybe I missed something but I can't see what time the meeting starts.

I did check the events calendar but I can't see it on there at all.

Thanks

[Editor]

Hi Cassie

There is a link in my post (above) taking you to the article with all the details.

However, the meeting will start at 1900 with refreshments available from 1830.

David

[kay barnes]

thanks. I'm still struggling with the noise from the delivery vehicles in the middle of the night

[Editor]

A reminder that the meeting is Wednesday night 1830 for 1900 at St Mary's school in Welham Green. Click here for more details.

[Cassie]

Did anyone go to the meeting? - just wondered what was said

[Editor]

Hi Cassie,

Bob went along and is writing a report for the site. Will publish it on the front page as soon as it arrives.

David

[Bob Horrocks]

Sorry about the delay in drafting a report on this meeting, but I needed to clarify my notes on an important point.  Murphy's Law says you can never get hold of the person you need to speak to when you want to. 

[Editor]

Another apology for the delay, I have finally got round to uploading Bob's report which can be read by clicking here.

David

[James Bentall]

Although not as large a turn out as expected,

Something to do with the fact it was held in the middle of the summer holidays when several people (including me, who would have been there...) were away perhaps?

[Bob Horrocks]

I hasten to add that this was a comment made by a member of the audience.  Those holding the meeting said it was as high as any of the others in a series of meetings being held in the borough.  One such meeting had only 10 people turn up.   

Timing was not ideal, but there is the report on this website, and where will be an article in this week's WH Times.  Their reporter Ben Griffiths talked to a number of people and made lots of notes.

Spread the word.  Anyone wishing to volunteer should phone WH Council on 01707 357000 (phone number corrected!) and ask to speak to Kerry Clare, Anti Social Behaviour Manager at their Hatfield Housing Office.  May her phone never stop ringing!

[Editor]

Welwyn Council has just sent out this news release about the meeting....

PRESS RELEASE / 13 August 2007

Anti Social Behaviour Meeting

Around 50 residents attended Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s meeting to discuss anti social behaviour issues at St Mary’s North Mymms School, Welham Green, on Wednesday 8 August.

The aim of the meeting was to give local people the chance to meet council officers and police who are available to help keep their neighbourhood peaceful.

Residents who attended were able to put questions to a panel made up of the constable and police community support officers assigned to the local ward, the council’s anti social behaviour team and Councillor John Dean, Leader of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, who chaired the meeting. Environmental Health officers were available to address, among other things, noise issues, and Hertfordshire County Council’s youth service also attended. 

Issues that were covered at the meeting included neighbourhood watch schemes, the need for more things for young people to do and places for them to meet, littering, vandalism, off-road motorbikes, CCTV and many more. 

It was pleasing to find that most people felt that there had been less trouble locally in recent months, reflecting consistent positive action by police and council officers. The council is keen to include the whole village in a good neighbourhood agreement that will set out standards of behaviour and lay down what organisations will be doing to tackle unacceptable behaviour.

The council will hold additional meetings on anti social behaviour at various places around the borough in the coming months.

Within the next four weeks the council will circulate a bulletin showing what action is being taken on each topic discussed at the meeting. This will be sent to everyone who left their contact details, and will also be posted on the council’s website, www.welhat.gov.uk
 
Councillor John Dean, Leader of the Council and chairman of the meeting, said: “We promised in our Corporate Plan to take firm action against anti social behaviour. The meeting was a genuine opportunity for residents to raise any concerns and alert us to current problems. I am delighted that so many residents took advantage of the opportunity to talk directly to the people who can help alleviate anti social behaviour problems, and the council will be working to address some of the issues that were raised.”


END/PR/07/116

[Bob Horrocks]

I do not know how large this bulletin will be, but it might be an idea to circulate it to every home and business in Welham Green.  There are about 1,400 homes plus an unknown number of businesses, but the total is likely to be about 2,000.  Any volunteers to help deliver it?  It would only need 13 people to deliver 150 each - about 2 hours each person

A Dellsome Lane shopkeeper told me a few days after the meeting that he did not know it was being held otherwise he would have attended.  His shop would have been ideal for a poster advertising the meeting.

[Bob Horrocks]

Welwyn Hatfield Council say the bulletin will be one A4 page, and will be available for distribution in Welham Green in about 2 weeks time i.e.e about 29th August.

Offers to help distribute it have already been received from a local resident and the Scouts.  If any other resident would like to help please contact me via the Forum as usual.  It will only take one or two hours to deliver to up to 150 addresses.

Many thanks to those who have already volunteered.



(oops spelling Bob  )