Your new best friend...STREET WATCH is coming...

Volunteers will need to communicate.....
.......and wear high viz vests

As debated on the 'Paul Stainton Breakfast Show' on BBC Cambridgeshire - Peterborough feed.

A few years after PFNW tried out the idea of street patrols, on Park Farm and following on from our innovative Holiday Property Watch last Summer, the general concept of community engagement has finally found favour with a number of Police forces under the not too original banner of Street Watch, a trial is to be held in some of the rougher parts of the City where Anti Social Behaviour is a growing problem. Unlike Park Farm where ASB rates are going down. [Well done everyone!] This is how it works:

Public volunteers are to be recruited by police in a trial to help patrol Peterborough streets as a new cheaper way of tackling anti social behavior. Wearing high visibility jackets, like our model Stewart above, the volunteers initially in pairs will be used to walk the streets near their homes to keep a look out for problems that may be brewing. The objective is to make contact with local youths or other people where appropriate and when safe to do so.

Chief inspector Kevin Vanterpool said: “Police cannot be everywhere and with budget cuts to come we have to look at innovative ways of doing things.

“By taking the volunteers out with the PCSO at first and engaging with youths it has already proven to reduce the fear of anti-social behaviour.” The start-up cost for five test projects for the Street Watch scheme in Peterborough, which will cover a small number of streets and enlist 15 volunteers per group, is £2,700.

It will be tested in the northern sector of Peterborough, which covers Werrington, Walton, Bretton as well as villages such as Glinton and Eye.

Chief Inspector Vanterpool said: “To be clear, the volunteers will not be policing, they will be patrolling their areas, and engaging with local youths or people where appropriate and when it is safe to do so.

“They will have phones and will book in with police and it will be an intelligence sharing operation." he added.

Julian Bray, Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch commented: " As this is only a trial, and we have assurances it will not replace Police patrols, it will be interesting to gauge the reaction, so I have an open mind. We've had street patrols on Park Farm before and also introduced Property Holiday Watch, but really the Police need funding and these deep,deep, cuts by the coalition government are not at all helpful. Police constables cannot however be made redundant as they are Crown appointments. So the police civilian back office staff has been decimated and good people are losing their jobs........the logic frankly escapes me."

(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

Meet our MP: Shailesh Vara Coffee Morning

Julian Bray Chair PFNW and Shailesh Vara MP

The coffee morning called by our Member of Parliament Mr Shailesh Vara on Saturday 29th january at the church hall in Mace Road was very well attended, in fact a full house! Mr Vara was also joined by local PCC councillors, Brian Rush and Irene Walsh. Our own Stanground councillor Janet Wilkinson, who is standing down was unfortunately not present.

The Police PCSO’s for our area also attended. Mrs Rush made the tea, coffee and supplied a cake mountain (thank you, it was a cold morning and very welcome).

Julian and Morag attended with PFNW hats on as observers, on a non political basis. We queried on your behalf MP Vara about Magna Park, (still on the cards as Janet Wilkinson for some reason had voted FOR it). This was news to Mr Vara who expressed his deep concern, he is firmly against the development (as are we).

It will be interesting to see how the several candidates for councillor of our ward on May 5 view the developments. Hopefully we can ask all the candidates to let us have a brief statement, which we will carry on the PFNW website if all the candidates contribute, we will of course keep you up to date.

Mr Vara is following up our concerns with the Leader of the Council. The plan by the Dubai. World, Economic Zones subsidiary Gazeley may have been shelved temporarily as the dire UK economic situation impacts. However it has not gone away, and will remain as a threat to us all.

None of us want to live next to ‘Gatwick Airport’ which is precisely the level of 24 hours a day, seven days a week light and noise pollution we can expect. We also hear that Gazeley are to offer the roof surface space of all the eight mega warehouses as a huge solar power farm, which of course will increase the overall height of each structure. Not to mention the reflected glare spill from the thousands of solar panels.

Constituents concerns raised with our MP included speeding on our roads and HGV lorries using Stanground as a convenient cut through as they have for many years before the by-pass opened. Concerns were expressed the bypass is still not being used and no signage or GPS (TOM TOM etc ) points to it.

We also heard a very sad story of a senior local couple who are being harassed (this has been going on for several years now) by weeds blowing and widespread seeding of weeds onto their well maintained garden, from the land bank owned but not properly maintained by Persimmon.

We have promised to take this up with the main Persimmon Board in London to see if we can to rectify the situation, the regional office seemingly not listening to ur residents for three years at least. This senior couple were obviously very distressed by all this. Such harassment is in blatent contravention of Persimmons own often quoted environmental policy, and it won’t take too much pressure for a series of formal written objections to be lodged every time Persimmon put up a new scheme.

We also learned about an access cut through for a new Morrisons Supermarket. Two houses will go to make way for the roadway. This project seems to have gone out to a wide scattergun formal consultation process, neatly ignoring those directly involved. To say the constituents present were fizzing is an understatement. Those standing for council on May 6th take note!

A very useful morning all round. Very well attended and hopefully a chance for everyone to air their views. We look forward to more of these throughout the year and our MP thanked everyone involved.

Profile:

Shailesh Lakhman Vara (born 4 September 1960) is a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Cambridgeshire in the 2005 general election, succeeding Brian Mawhinney as the Conservative MP for the seat. Shailesh Vara has previously been a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party. In 2006 he was appointed to the shadow ministerial post of Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. Following the 2010 General Election, he was appointed to the position of Assistant Whip in the coalition government.

(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

Sexism in Sport? Not on our Manor but Indoors?

Even the 'Hoover' is called Henry!

Now that the lid has been blown off the whole telly sport sexism issue, it remains to be seen if the ripples from all this will enter into other areas of daily life. Unhappily a lengthy report has reached us suggesting that February is the prime time not for sexism alone but Domestic Violence.

The Christmas credit card bills are thudding on the mat along with rocketing utilities, food and transport costs. The children want new shoes, clothes , toys, computers. the list is endless. What we are asking is that if you see any outwards signs, that something isn't quite right (and without putting yourself in harms way) see if you can offer support or advice.

Children attending school.Do your friends look pale, drawn, a few bruises maybe? Trust me the childrens charity NSPCC have mountains of case files on domestic violence and acts of child cruelty that make hardened case workers weep.

It could well be the worst cases are shielded behind the front doors of big posh houses, well manicured gardens and a smart new car in the driveway . Domestic Violence (and in many cases it is a form of illness or long-term conditioning) is no respector of class, status, creed or religion. It is sadly rapidly increasing like a virus and it needs to be stopped..

For children wanting to talk discreetly to a trained counsellor the number is Childline 0800 1111 write it down on a few slips of paper and if you see anyone who could use the support give them the number or log on to the website and message boards. http://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

In urgent cases, you may be the victim but in long term cases where 'conditioning' has set in, you might not realise it, please don't delay, call Police, or discreetly inform Crimestoppers, you won't be wasting their time, it is exactly what they are there for.

Simply all such calls are important. Do the right thing, don't ignore it. Please.

(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.

CRIMESTOPPERS NEW 'MOST WANTED' DISTRACTION BURGLARS..

Police and the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers launched a list of the 10 'Most Wanted' people sought in connection with distraction burglaries.

The campaign warns the public to be careful about who they let into their homes especially as it approaches February, a time of year when burglaries traditionally peak. Distraction burglars trick their way in to the houses of the elderly and vulnerable, by pretending to be a type of official or asking for assistance.

The 10 'Most Wanted' individuals are featured on Crimestoppers Most Wanted site at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/wanted

While distraction burglary isn't a common crime, it often has a totally devastating effect on the victims. In addition to tracing the whereabouts of the 10 'Most Wanted' distraction burglars, the campaign aims to raise awareness so people can prevent themselves from being deceived by these callous individuals. The message is very clear 'if your're not sure who is calling, then don't open the door!'

Crime Prevention Advice:

• If you’re not sure who is at your door, don’t open it. Check the identity
of the caller by calling the company they are purporting to be from ie. Gas,
Electricity, Water and Police. Use the telephone numbers listed in your local
directory or provided independently by your service provider. Do not use any
telephone numbers provided by the caller, they may be bogus.

• Telephone a neighbour or friend nearby to come along and check out the
caller before you open the door to them.

• Some areas in the country have Neighbourhood Watch or Nominated Neighbour
Schemes you can sign up to. Check with your local police Safer Neighbourhood
Team to find out if there is one in your area.

• Many utility service providers like Gas, Electricity and Water, provide
password schemes or hotline numbers for customers to call, to check the identity
of callers before opening the door. Speak to your utility provider.• Don’t keep
large quantities of cash at home.

• Keep doors locked and windows secure at all times. Only put the door
chain on to answer the door.

• If somebody asks for your help, needs to make a telephone call, has lost
a ball in your garden, needs a drink or request a pen and paper for example,
refer them to a younger neighbour or assist them through a closed door. Or call
a friend or neighbour to come and assist.

• If you suspect a bogus caller has visited you, even if you didn’t let
them in, call the police straight away. We need to know!

Carol Aston Crime Reduction Officer Safer Peterborough Team Cambridgeshire Police

Tel 0345 456 456 4 ext 4417

Absconder from lawful custody
Location National
CS Reference CS1008-4872
Absconder from lawful custody

(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

FREE SCHOOL MEALS: Does Your Child Qualify?

Parents are being encouraged to find out if their child is entitled to free school meals. From 1 April 2011, schools will be given additional funding by the Government, called a pupil premium, for every child who applies for a free school meal. This money will be spent on helping pupils who are underachieving to reach their full potential. Under the new cashless card swipe system no one will know if the student is getting free school meals or not!

Pupils whose parent (or guardian) receives one or more of the following benefits are entitled to free school meals:

Income support
Income based job seekers allowance
Employment and
support allowance
Child tax credit, provided you don't also receive working
tax credit and have an annual income, as assessed by the Inland Revenue, that
does not exceed £16,190
Guarantee credit element of state pension credit;

Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Children who receive income support or income based job seekers
allowance in their own right are also eligible.

Jonathan Lewis, assistant director for resources within children's services, said: "We are aware there are children who attend Peterborough schools who are entitled to free school meals but do not realise it. We are also aware that some parents choose not to take up the entitlement to a free school meal.

"The new pupil premium means that even if you don’t wish to access a free daily meal, applying will mean that your child's school will receive further funding."

Richard Lord, principal of Ken Stimpson Community School, said: "Currently around 11 per cent of our pupils receive free school meals but potentially there are twice as many pupils who are entitled but their parents or carers are unaware that they qualify or choose not to.

"Students who qualify for free school meals have £2.20 credited automatically to their cashless catering card each day. This represents a saving of £44 per child each month. It is impossible for other students to know which students have benefitted from free school meals and which have not as all schools now operate a cashless system."

To find out if your child is entitled to a free school meal please contact your local school who can check your eligibility with just a few simple details.


(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

No Evidence on Value for Money of PFI projects say MPs

Not a candidate for PFI, the infamous Duckhouse.

The private finance initiative may have delivered many new hospitals (including the new City Hospital in Peterborough), and homes which might otherwise not have been delivered, but there is no clear evidence of whether PFI is any better or worse value for money than other procurement routes, MPs have said.

In a report on the use of PFI in hospitals and social housing, the influential Public Accounts Committee said that by April 2009, there were 76 operational PFI hospitals in England and more than 13,000 homes had been built or refurbished through PFI, “representing a small but significant part of investment in social housing”.

It said: “As with previous reports, we again found no clear and explicit justification and evaluation for the use of PFI in terms of its value for money. However, we accept that the then government gave the Departments (the Department of Health and the DCLG) no realistic alternatives to PFI as the procurement route to use for these capital programmes.”

The committee said its other concerns revolved around central government's failure to use the market leverage that comes from overseeing multiple contracts, and the lack of robust central data to support effective programme management.

The MPs suggested that there were cases where PFI was used where there was no evidence it was the best procurement route.

They called on the government to do more to:

- identify the circumstances where PFI works best
- capture the lessons learned from PFI procurements, and
- apply clear criteria to future decisions over identifying the best route for particular public infrastructure investments.

The committee said it expected any procurement decisions on the housing projects whose future is now being reconsidered in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review “to be made using clear value for money criteria”.

The report claimed that it was clear that implementation of PFI projects could be improved.

“Many PFI housing procurements have taken very much longer, and cost a great deal more, than originally planned,” the MPs said.



(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

Launch of Crime Stoppers FEARLESS

Download this Poster for your School or Village Hall

http://www.fearless.org/assets/files/Poster-72dpi_RGB.jpg

http://www.fearless.org/

Launch of Fearless in Peterborough

Fearless, Crimestoppers' new website for young people, has been officially launched for the Eastern Region at The Voyager School in Peterborough.

The event was attended by 50 agencies, over 1000 pupils and some members of the newly formed Cambridgeshire Volunteer Committee.

The day included an interactive theatre production by The Solomon Theatre on drugs, alcohol, peer pressure and making healthy choices.

Ricky Norwood, who plays Fatboy in Eastenders, was supporting the event and said: “This website is a great idea which will hopefully encourage more young people to be ‘fearless’ in tackling crime. So many young people have died because of crime and it doesn’t have to be like that. By using Fearless they can get advice and pass on information about crime 100% anonymously which could save one of their friend’s lives”.

(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