The Wigan and Leigh Housing (WALH) owned garage sites off Brooklands Avenue in Atherton has always been popular. But in recent times it’s been popular for all the wrong reasons.
What started off as an amenity for tenants to park their cars in safety had become a magnet for all manner of dodgy dealers. And when those living nearby spoke up and said that ‘enough was enough’ – housing officers, police and ward councillors listened.
Atherton Area Housing Office Manager Joanne Makin explains:
“We held a residents’ meeting to discuss anti-social behaviour in the area and what we are doing to combat it. “But one of the things the tenants and residents felt very strongly about was this garage sites. “Residents told us that people were coming onto the sites after dark and using the area for illegal purposes. Because the area was not well lit there were general problems of it being used as a bit of a meeting place. All these factors were putting people off using the facilities and it had begun to effect the demand for garages on the sites.”
WALH has recently joined forces with the police, council community safety experts and others to form a new team dedicated to cracking down on anti-social behaviour in Atherton.
“We saw this as an ideal example,” says Joanne. “We were aware that the residents felt really strongly about it so we were determined to do something.”
Working with the Township Community Safety Group (TSCG) and ward councillors the team first inspected the site to see what could be done. And then came a range of measures to put the garages back into working order and out of reach of the criminal and anti-social elements. The project received funding from the TCSG and cash from ward councillor Karen Aldred’s and Norman Bradbury’s Brighter Borough Fund as well as funding from WALH’s Environment Fund. More than £3,000 worth of improvements have now been installed at the site and these include metal barriers which can be locked by residents to keep unwanted visitors out. New lighting to improve visibility in the area at night and to deter anti-social behaviour is also on order. Secluded areas have been gated or fenced off and walls have been treated with anti-climb paint to stop people getting onto the garage roofs.
Speaking on behalf of the ward councillors, Cllr Aldred said:
“We are delighted with the work that has been carried out so far and we are hoping there is still more to come with extra lighting. We’ve had some really positive feedback from the residents who are now no longer afraid to use this area. “This is a great example of everyone working together to solve what was quite a problem for the tenants and residents. We were all happy to help out and we are really pleased with the results.”
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