Residents of Bradley Stoke streets surrounding the Willow Brook Centre have called for two pedestrian access routes to the shopping development to be blocked off in an effort to stem a tide of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the area.
The plea came at at meeting chaired by Bradley Stoke Mayor Ben Walker, also attended by Inspector Bob Evely of Avon and Somerset Police, Scott Lahive of the Willow Brook Centre and a representative from South Gloucestershire Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Team.
The meeting was called after Bradley Stoke Town Council received numerous complaints from residents of the Manor Farm area whose properties border pedestrian routes into the Willow Brook Centre.
Residents complained of abandoned Tesco trolleys being rammed into their front doors, flower pots being smashed, trees being snapped off and an incident where the front door of a property was set alight.
Most of the incidents were said to have occurred around midnight and to have been perpetrated by “drunken” 16-18 year-olds.
Despite residents’ accounts, official police statistics provided by Insp Evely showed that just four ASB-related incidents had been reported in the area during the last six months – a number hotly disputed by those present at the meeting, who collectively claimed to have reported many more. Cllr Walker remarked on the “disparity in figures” and Insp Evely was actioned to re-check his figures.
Insp Evely told the meeting that the police aim to respond to reports of ASB within one hour. A police officer will callback with 24 hours and a letter will be sent within a week. Further callbacks will then be made every three weeks.
Residents at the meeting then called on the authorities to block off two access points to the Willow Brook Centre that are seen as being the root cause of the ASB issues.
Although the route from Savages Wood Road through to Dewfalls Drive is a designated public footpath, it appears that access onto that footpath from the end of Manor Farm Crescent has no such status, having been created when the Willow Brook Centre was constructed in 2008.
Residents of Manor Farm Crescent attending the meeting called for the access point to be permanently blocked off and they received support from Mr Lahive, who said the Willow Brook Centre would submit the necessary application for a variation in planning permission within the next three weeks.
Other residents called for the public footpath to be “gated” at the point where it leaves the Willow Brook Centre and heads north towards Dewfalls Drive. They were supported by Cllr Sarah Pomfret who said she had already made preliminary enquiries on the matter with various departments of South Gloucestershire Council.
Complaints about the amount of litter on council-owned land bordering the public footpath should be reported to SGC, said Town Clerk Sharon Petela, to which Mr Lahive added that the Willow Brook Centre would “look at taking on responsibility for litter two to three days a week in areas neighbouring the access points”.
A number of speakers expressed disappointment that Tesco Extra had failed to send a representative to the meeting (despite being invited) and the Town Clerk was instructed to contact the store manager with regard to the large number of abandoned trolleys in the area.
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https://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/2010/05/26/town-councillors-suceed-flattening-cycle-crossing/
i can’t see why they would even consider denying access to pedestrian routes.
This town council beggars belief!
What about the people who use the access points to get to the Willowbrook centre and don’t cause any ASB? Why should they be penalised?
It’s the perpetrators of the ASB that need to be inconvenienced, not the general public. Why can’t the Police be more pro-active?
It amazes me a place like Bradley Stoke doesn’t have some sort of CCTV control room; with cameras placed at crime hot spots. Yes it would cost a lot of money to install but I am sure it would cut crime in the long run.
As for the walkways; why not install gates that a lockable by local residents after say 11pm or that are on an electronic timer to lock between the hours of 11pm-6am?
Exactly, Richard. I live in the estate in question and in my 3.5 years living here (since it was built) I would estimate there have been on average around a dozen “anti-social episodes” a night caused by people walking from the direction of the Bradley Stoke pub and I’m yet to hear/see a single one from the direction of the Willow Brook centre. I’ve walked back from the Three Brooks around midnight on numerous occasions and have never seen a soul anywhere near that opening at that time, let alone anyone behaving offensively. I’m sure if I lived right next to it then I’d have seen and heard more – but if it’s a regular occurrence and is the same people all the time, at the same time of night, then wouldn’t the obvious solution be to arrest the perpetrators rather than close the thoroughfare to everyone else?
Please dont close the access route from Manor Farm Crescent. I only live round the corner and cant really say I have ever seen or heard any of these problems. You get the occasional drunk coming home from the pub, but nothing to report about! I use this access most days to walk to the Willow Brook Centre and dont see why I should be penalised because of a few idiots!!! Why cant CCTV be installed as Mike quite rightly mentionned!!
I think a gate should be installed and access closed between certain hours.The police should do regular rounds at night.Tesco can have a CCTV on there side and alert police if needed.
This spot is indeed a potential trouble spot.