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Published:
July 10, 2008
Highbridge
residents launch new police-backed action group
Community-minded
residents in Highbridge have this week launched a new police-backed
Local Action Team to tackle problems in the town.
 Over
20 local people, including police officers, gathered in the town's
Morland Community Hall on Thursday evening (July 10th) to form
the new group, which will deal with problems including litter,
dog fouling, traffic issues and anti-social behaviour.
Chris
Fry, the Local Action Team (LAT) Co-ordinator for Avon and Somerset
Constabulary, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "The concept behind
Local Action Teams is for them to take ownership and responsibility
of community issues. Current legislation empowers groups like
this to solve problems and there's strength in numbers. You really
can make a difference."
The
group's members discussed a number of issues that it would like
to tackle first and agreed that 'quick wins', such as resolving
litter problems, would be first on the list.
Trish
Hart was chosen as the group's first chairman and Angie Leach
stepped forward to take on the secretary role. The two, pictured
below with local police, live in the area and are drawing up a
list of local problems to tackle.
Sgt
Ian Kennett, who was at Thursday's meeting with beat manager Constable
Adrian Jones and PCSO Claire Chambers, told Burnham-On-Sea.com
at Thursday's meeting: "I'm very pleased to see this group
being set-up. We are very keen to work closely with the LAT to
help them improve the community for the community."
 Local
resident Toni Newman said she would like to see a drop-in centre
created by the new group in the centre of Highbridge. "There
are many people living on benefits here and I think we could set
it up a service even for just one day a week that would really
benefit the town."
Church
Street resident Jason Adams suggested: "I'd like to see improvements
made to Southwell Park, which has suffered problems with dog fouling
and anti-social behaviour for a long time."
Local
resident Pat Farrow said: "It's so sad to see Highbridge
in its current state. It's gone downhill a great deal from how
it used to be. I hope this group can start to help put it back
on the right track."
And
King Alfred Sports Centre's Lee Vaughan explained at Thursday's
meeting how the facility is seeking to give young people in Highbridge
aged between 5-16 lots to do during the school holidays through
its active holidays scheme.
The
new LAT will meet again on Thursday July 17th at 7.30pm in Highbridge's
King Alfred Sports Centre.
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