Newbury's neighbourhood wardens start patrolling the streets of Turnpike and Shaw today to help improve the quality of life for the residents.
Sovereign Housing Association has expanded the current warden project to cover the Clay Hill area, after requests from Clay Hill Residents Association resulted in extra funding from Newbury Town Council.
Neighbourhood wardens have been operating in Newbury for five years, and have been successful in helping cut crime, coordinate community activities, and improve the streetscene, in Greenham, Wash Common and Stroud Green.
Newbury Town Council recently agreed a £15,000 grant, allowing the four wardens’ hours to be increased without harming their work elsewhere.
Sovereign Neighbourhood Warden Manager Andy Cooch said: “Our wardens are very much in demand as people have realised what they’ve achieved on the Nightingales and Pigeons Farm estates”.
”This funding means Clay Hill residents will also benefit from having abandoned cars removed, someone to liaise with local teenagers, and to be a friendly face in the neighbourhood.”
“We are pleased to support the expansion of the warden programme into Clay Hill”, says Town Council Leader Ian Grose, “and it shows the commitment of Newbury Town Council to making this part of Newbury an even better place to live, work and play. I’m sure the residents of this part of the town will work with the wardens to sort out local concerns, and we hope to see support for the programme from others to carry it forward and expand it in future years.”
Clay Hill Residents Association chairman Grahame Farquhar added:
The addition of Wardens to the area will hopefully bring a sense of reassurance to the residents and also be a point of contact that they will see and be able to give their concerns to. We are hopeful that the addition of further wardens will be achieved in the future through funding from the District Council.
There are around 2300 homes in Clay Hill, with just 500 managed by housing associations. The area stretches from Shaw Cemetery to the Skyllings, and from West Berkshire Community Hospital to Kiln Road.
Published 1 June 2007
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