Cornwall Housing has teamed up with Devon & Cornwall Police, Cornwall Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour team and residents in the local area to grant closure orders for two flats in Liskeard, due to anti-social behaviour.
Closure orders are applied for under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and mean that a home can be boarded up so that the tenant cannot return for the time specified by the Court. They can be granted if the court is satisfied that a person has or is likely to engage in disorderly, offensive or criminal behaviour on a premises, or that its use has or is likely to result in serious nuisance to members of the public.
Following the closure orders grants, the team worked late into the evening on Wednesday 10 October to board up the properties and make them secure, whilst work begins to permanently remove the existing tenants.
These closure orders are the result of many months of work - listening to local residents to understand the issues, tackling anti-social behaviour and creating a Local Lettings Plan with the aim of changing the criteria of who can be offered homes in the street.
One of the properties is already back in the possession of Cornwall Housing and will be repaired and redecorated, ready for new tenants to move in. The second property will follow the necessary legal process so that Cornwall Housing can take possession in the coming weeks.
Cornwall Housing’s estate caretaker team will undertake works to tidy up the area, which will help bring about a fresh start for the area and open up the street, which was previously overgrown and secluded in places.
Area Housing Officer, Denise Nurse, said: “This is a brilliant result for the residents of Melbourne Road, and I want to thank everyone who had the courage to speak to us, because without them it would not have been possible. There are some fantastic people living in the area, whose lives were being seriously disrupted by the inconsiderate and anti-social behaviour of others, so we wanted to send a strong message that we won’t tolerate it. We want people living in our homes and neighbourhoods to feel safe, and we’ll do all we can to help if you speak to us about issues.”
Sergeant Gary Smith at Devon and Cornwall Police said: “It’s been fantastic to work with Cornwall Housing and the Council to take positive action that will improve the lives of people living in Melbourne Road. Working as a team, with the trust and support of local people, means we can make a real difference.”
Martyn Scott, Head of Housing Management at Cornwall Housing, said: “We’re taking proactive steps with our partner agencies to sensitively place people in the street – that means not only considering whether housing needs are met, but also assessing how individuals will impact the street, ultimately helping to create a safe neighbourhood.”
Martyn added: “We want all our tenants and residents to live in thriving communities. We do not tolerate antisocial behaviour and work very hard with partner agencies to make sure that our law-abiding residents can enjoy their homes peacefully. I am very proud of the hard work of our teams, and those of our partners on another successful action.”
Email: info@cornwallhousing.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 1234 161
