You may have heard or read in the local paper about a new initiative by Eastbourne Police. In conjunction with the Council and other partners, they are asking the residents of the town to join force sin bringing together twenty-one new Neighbourhood Panels.

These panels will be used to find the views of our neighbourhoods and create a structure that will address what affects our daily life. They will work alongside the community and partner agencies to address local issues, working solely for the neighbourhood to keep and make Eastbourne a safe place. Councillors are key to driving forward this initiative.

The Panels provide joint approach to the policing of our neighbourhoods for effective solving of problems of crime and disorder in each area, through regular meetings and a named point of contact. Issues raised by the Panels will be fed back to Eastbourne Police and partner agencies that can provide the support and the resources as well as the ability to identify the common themes requiring a higher level of intervention and resolution.

Local Police Inspector Tony Wakefield said “This is all about creating a structure that will give the community more chance to drive local priorities at a street level which realises the needs of the neighbourhood. It’s also about giving more information on what is being achieved. Having neighbourhood policing teams sitting at the heart of every community and the community at the heart of every team. This is about giving the people what they want, not telling them what they’re going to get.”

‘Your Eastbourne’
Your Neighbourhood - Meads Ward

Earlier in 2008, the Meads local Neighbourhood Policing Team set up a Local Action Team (LAT) to deal with issues causing local residents concern in the neighbourhood of Brighton University Welkin building, Gaudick Road. Over several meetings, the participating residents, Meads Ward Councillors, council staff, University representatives, student representatives and the policing team have been involved in tackling matters relating to the three priority issues identified at the first meeting. These were: Noise, Parking and Litter.

Feedback since the Brighton University students returned for the autumn session suggests that the measures taken so far are having a positive impact. Re-enforcement of some measures taken and the need to address how to alleviate a repeat in 2009 of this summer’s experiences when over 300 International language school students were resident in the Welkin Hall facility have still to dealt with early in the New Year.

The need for a new chairman for the LAT and the emergence of the Meads Ward Neighbourhood Panel(s) led to a decision at the last meeting to await the New Year before continuing to pursue the issues either by continuing with the University LAT or under the auspices of a Meads NP.