Safety revamp underway in Leicestershire parks thanks to £550k funding boost

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has secured a cash boost worth £550k to make women and girls safer across the county.

The Commissioner, working in conjunction with local authority partners and Leicestershire Police, has successfully bid for funding in the third round of the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund - receiving the maximum grant available for a new safety project.

The funding will be invested in 31 new CCTV cameras and improved lighting in parks across the LLR area to deter crime, reduce the risk of women and girls being assaulted and increase the chance of offenders being caught by police.

It will also fund improvement works to increase visibility and reduce seclusion in parks through the cutting back of undergrowth and foliage and the launch of a new safety campaign to challenge misogynistic attitudes.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr Matthews said: “Women and girls have a right to feel safe everywhere – at home, online and in our public spaces.

“This funding will enable us to make immediate changes to improve personal safety and reduce the opportunity for crime and violence while giving women greater confidence to walk without fear.

“We have listened very carefully to local women to understand where they feel most vulnerable and at risk. For this reason, this project will deliver extensive CCTV provision and additional lighting across our parks to increase visibility and address areas of seclusion.

“We presented a compelling case for this additional funding and I am delighted the Home Office has endorsed our plans with the maximum award available of £550k.”

The improvements cover 18 parks across the LLR area and comprise:

• Victoria Park, Braunstone Park, Abbey Park, Western Park, Bede Park, Aylestone Meadows, Rally Park and Knighton Park in Leicester

• Bradgate Park and Queens Park in Charnwood

• Warwick Park Kibworth Harcourt and Welland Park in Harborough

• Clarendon Park in Hinckley and Bosworth

• Melton Country Park in Melton

• Brock Hill Country Park and Blaby Road Park in Oadby and Wigston

• Cutts Close Park and Tod’s Piece Park in Rutland.

The grant will also fund the launch of a Behaviour Change Campaign across the force area to tackle underlying attitudes and inequalities that help to foster gender-based violence. 

Nationally, police and crime commissioners and local authorities received a total of £23.5m of Safer Streets funding on top of the £18.4m already awarded this year in the second round of the fund.

Recipients of funding submitted bids for innovative plans to increase the safety of public spaces, including projects which emphasise changing attitudes and behaviours in local communities. 

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