Earlier this week (Wednesday 20 November), Cllr Victoria Holloway, Cabinet Member for Place and Environment, met with residents and local businesses to hear about their ideas and concerns around tackling anti-social behaviour.
Cllr Holloway was joined by members from Thurrock Council's Housing, Environment and Community Safety Teams, as well as members of Essex Police on a walkabout in Belhus, South Ockendon.
Discussions with local residents of Belhus focused on identifying community concerns around anti-social behaviour, how certain areas could be made to feel safer and how incidents could be reported.
The ward visit was part of a series of walkabouts this week as part of Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week, with members of Thurrock Council's Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and Housing teams also visiting Corringham on Thursday 21 November.
YouGov research commissioned by Resolve found that almost 1 in 5 people have had to consider moving home because of the impact ASB was having on them; 1 in 10 have actually moved. Despite this, over half of those surveyed who were either victims or witnesses of ASB did not report ASB.
Cllr Victoria Holloway, Cabinet Member for Place and Environment, said:
"We know that anti-social behaviour can have a devastating effect on victims and can make day-to-day life a real struggle with many victims feeling like they have to move house to escape. We want to work with communities to ensure they feel properly supported and don't suffer in silence.
"The visits that took place this week have given us a real opportunity to build stronger connections with the people that we serve in our communities. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their views with me and our team, it has given us a better understanding of your unique perspectives and will help guide our future plans.
"All reports of anti-social behaviour are treated seriously and I urge all of our residents who may be suffering to report it to Essex Police. You can also learn about the support that's available by visiting our anti-social behaviour webpage."
