MAKING PFNW MORE INCLUSIVE

Hmm, must be Hampton, the roads are too narrow!

It is clear that recent positive developments on our own Neighbourhood Watch Scheme has resulted in the reduction of ASB incidents and a better rate of crime clear ups generally. This is likely to be countered by the slimming down of front line police activity due to budget cuts by the Coalition Government. So more than ever PFNW is looking out for you and yours!

It is also clear that Park Farm being the younger brother of the well established Stanground community, both need to jointly develop an effective local voice in the management of our affairs and with concerted lobby activities at city and county level. Simply as budgets are squeezed, we can expect local resources and services also to be hit. I am floating this as an idea, that we expand PFNW to additionally take on the pro-active role of residents association.

We seem to be getting involved on the telephone information line (01733 345581) in situations that go beyond the narrow confines of the traditional PFNW objectives. Often, the person on the other end of the line has exhausted all other avenues and turns to PFNW as a last resort. Items as diverse as flytipping and a serial lack of weed control over many years from a developers (Persimmon Homes - again!) almost abondoned land bank.

We also had well intentioned PCC Officers who dutifully take notes and that is the last we have heard from them. Still waiting for notice boards to be repaired, fence 'tagging' to be painted out and spray paint 'tags' removed from street furniture. It will probably end up with us, again, going out with the paint pots and doing the PCC's /BT's job for them. Should not be like this but the alternative is an area that looks run down and uncared for, when the opposite is true.

We scored a minor victory with the BUPA abandoned Nursery site, having involved the London BUPA main board at London head office! The site opposite Heritiage Park School, has now had a clean up and hedge trim, shame they could not apply a lick of paint to the improved boarding up though! There are many other issues likely to present themselves as the severity of the cuts begins to bite and unemployment locally starts to rise. To be very clear, we need to be selfish and put our own area ahead of citywide and seemingly distant county concerns, because we have a lively set of residents who passionately care about their environment does not mean that less financial resources should be applied to this area rather than say a vandal prone, drug dominated, rat infested run down estate.

Both examples present different and difficult challenges, the fact that most of us try and care for our 'patch' is no excuse for the city council and others to divert resources elsewhere. Let me know about the residents association idea or how it can be best approached. We already have an effective drum beating and a decent media profile, perhaps we need to invest in a larger and louder one - drum that is! Boom! Boom!

(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters direct call ISDN 'down the line' 01733 555319 ISDN Codecs G722 & APT All Press Enquiries Julian Bray 01733 345581