EVA Template – Primary Bid (Pokesdown)

The template has been created using the Seven Attributes of Safer Places - the planning system and crime prevention (2004 Archived).

The attributes are general and descriptive. They are not prescriptive. They are not a set of rules to be applied to all situations. Instead, they should be considered as prompts to thinking about crime prevention and promoting community safety, primarily through the planning system.

This document was superseded in 2014 with updated planning practice guidance. However, the attributes provide a simple yet effective framework for surveying the built environment.

The attributes:

Access and movement: places with well-defined routes, spaces and entrances that provide for convenient movement without compromising security

Structure: places that are structured so that different uses do not cause conflict

Surveillance: places where all publicly accessible spaces are overlooked

Ownership: places that promote a sense of ownership, respect, territorial responsibility and community

Physical protection: places that include necessary, well-designed security features

Activity: places where the level of human activity is appropriate to the location and creates a reduced risk of crime and a sense of safety at all times

Management and maintenance: places that are designed with management and maintenance in mind, to discourage crime in the present and the future

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Summary of recommendations

Pokesdown,

There are problems within the area that require intervention to tackle deprivation and causes of crime which are outside the scope of policing and its local partners to manifestly enhance, but also several measures that could effectively reduce crime, as well as the fear of crime.

The most significant current weakness is

A secondary issue is that many properties have poor standards of security, and criminal access requires little effort. There are limited opportunities that a crime will be identified at an early stage; and the nature of the urban area nearby is that disposal of stolen goods can be easily achieved.

Based on this EVA, and working through the Safer Streets Fund Crime Prevention Toolkit, it is suggested that the following interventions should be considered:

1. Add pan zoom and tilt cameras linked to the existing Council monitoring centre at locations along, Christchurch Road, Seabourne Road and Southbourne Grove.

2. Extend the Bobby Van provision into this area, with a focus on using it in an enhanced manner to provide basic target hardening improvements.

3. Engage local community leaders to identify areas where resources might be focussed to expand Neighbourhood Watch schemes, and sign up to the messaging scheme Dorset Alert.

4. Use available resources such as Community Volunteers, Cadets and Neighbourhood Watches to provide basic crime prevention information and referral to further available help.

5. Launch a targeted Crime Prevention Awareness campaign involving local stakeholders, jointly led by and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council.

6. Assess local need to better enable Police and Council resources to target interventions to protect vulnerable individuals (such as the Safe and Independent Living scheme).

Other suggestions:

7. Possibly add an extra mobile CCTV unit that could be deployed into hotspot locations, although management/deployment is more costly and .

8. Possibly provide a short term boost to the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme to increase the physical reassurance available through a uniformed presence.

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Introduction

Pokesdown is a suburb of Bournemouth, situated to the east of and to the west of the generally more affluent Southbourne area. Pokesdown railway station is situated at the north on the junction of Christchurch Road and Seabourne Road. Christchurch Road/Old Christchurch Road is the main road running from central Bournemouth, through Boscombe and into Pokesdown. Seabourne Road then Southbourne Grove forms the main route through Pokesdown and towards Southbourne and the sea.

Historically it was Boscombe that formed the main tourist destination locally and in the 1880s the area rapidly expanded with developments of large villa style homes along the links to the coast. Hotels and large guest house were common and busy. Gradually the tourism landscape changed and by the 1970’s, many buildings had been converted to Houses of Multiple Occupancy and flats. This type of accommodation attracted an influx of people on low incomes and living off benefits. The change in resident demographic also saw higher levels of drug and alcohol dependency and an increase of transient individuals with chaotic lifestyles centred in Boscombe and its neighbouring areas. and also saw a large growth in Drug and Alcohol treatment centres locally, perpetuating the issues by drawing individuals from outside the area seeking treatment.

Whilst these issues are particularly entrenched in Boscombe, the impact has been felt in neighbouring Pokesdown. Accommodation is largely private rented, with multiple and distant landlords, resulting in a transient population and erosion of community. Many properties open directly onto the footpath with little defensible space. This has led to a large number of buildings having unprotected side alleys leading to the rear areas. Rear yards and gardens regularly share access. Christchurch Road, Seabourne Road and Southbourne Grove are a lined with shop fronts with living units above that were designed for families to live above their shops, but have now become rented flats. The area and is particularly well-known for small, independent retailers specialising in antiques, vintage and retro clothing. Southbourne Grove still has the rear Victorian back lane, Southbourne Lane running along the rear of all the properties. There is little in the way of public green space, other than Fisherman’s Walk to the south which .

Since the 1990’s there have been a number of initiatives implemented to try and regenerate Boscombe and whilst there has been some steady improvement in most of these areas, many issues still exist in the housing and crime areas.

This ongoing focus on Boscombe has also seen a small but vocal group of residents within Pokesdown to feel that their area has been unduly neglected and similar issues not addressed. Whilst not experiencing quite the same levels of deprivation, crime and anti-social behaviour, Pokesdown itself does experience significant challenges due to its environment and proximity to Boscombe.

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1. Access and Movement (Permeability) Places with well-defined routes, spaces and entrances that provide for convenient movement without compromising security

The main arterial road Christchurch Road links Bournemouth to Boscombe and onto Christchurch, with a significant stretch of ground floor shops with residential units above. The link to the sea, and main route through the heart of Pokesdown, is Seabourne Road leading onto Southbourne Grove. Many long straight side roads come off these roads with houses built on individual patterns. The few cul-de-sacs that do exist have been added as part of ongoing urban growth.

This area still identifies with its Victorian roots with large imposing facades looking down onto roads that were built more as a patchwork. Many properties open directly onto the footpath with little defensible space. This has led to a large number of buildings having unprotected side alleys leading to the rear areas. Rear yards and gardens regularly share access.

Christchurch Road, Seabourne Road and Southbourne Grove are lined with shop fronts with living units above that were originally designed for families to live above their shops, but have now become rented flats. Southbourne Grove still has the rear Victorian back lane, Southbourne Lane, running along the rear of all the properties.

Permeability was built into the original layouts to encourage links on foot. However, this has now left the area vulnerable. Many properties are now in the ownership of landlords who live outside the area, using management companies or even sub-letting properties. It is therefore quite difficult to identify who is actually responsible for maintaining the structure, and even more difficult to get enhancements undertaken.

BCP Council are currently consulting on the implementation of a Selective Licensing Scheme for landlords, which, if implemented, will involve a mandatory level of services provided to maintain that registration.

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Recommendations

Target hardening and crime prevention education, with residents being aware of the risk and taking responsibility for home security, would achieve the best improvements most reasonably. Restricting access to the rear or sides of a property; having appropriate security hardware; and using it properly can reduce crime.

The introduction of formal and informal surveillance, through the installation of CCTV and community capacity building (eg Neighbourhood Watch), would also help in terms of crime prevention, deterrent and intelligence/investigation. This could include targeted awareness raising of the Dorset Alert Scheme, which residents can sign up to a receive crime updates in their area directly from Police intelligence.

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2. Structure (Design and Layout) Places that are structured so that different uses do not cause conflict

Along the main streets front facades are shared by different users, and there are numerous examples of poorly maintained doors and windows mingled along even the main road. The rear alleys and pathways show even more conflict, with residential properties sharing entrances with commercial bins piled high with commercial rubbish.

When these streets were built shopkeepers and their families lived above their commercial properties, resulting in a level of ownership by property owners. Unfortunately, with the increase in temporary rented accommodation in the area, this element of community has long since disappeared.

Parking spaces come at a premium and perfectly serviceable walls and hedges are ripped out to provide open space for vehicles to either park or unload. Whilst this is understandable, it has again increased the vulnerability of properties to crime.

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Recommendations

Few people realise quite how opportunistic most of the crimes in this area have been.

Some quite simple steps might deter or delay an offender, although individual properties may need slightly different advice.

However, in general, residential properties will benefit from having and using good quality doors, locks and windows. Some of the crimes witnessed in these residential properties

Hence the need to inform and educate residents alongside measurers to enhance security.

A solution for this would be a target hardening scheme, such as the newly launched Bobby Van Scheme in Dorset. If a scheme could be implemented targeting vulnerable residents and previous/repeat victims of burglary, this could go a long way to ensure properties are secure and residents receive advice from a trained operative.

Commercial properties need to be aware that are easy targets. Business owners should consider these aspects of security, along with the risks to the wider resident population given the prevalence of shared access, particularly to the rear of properties. Though it would be encouraged that all shops and commercial premises have a properly installed alarm system, modern technology does allow for reasonably cheap alarms to be installed where budgets may be an issues.

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3. Surveillance (natural, informal and formal) Places where all publicly accessible spaces are overlooked

Bournemouth Town centre and central Boscombe is served by an extensive and well- established CCTV camera operation, .

Many home owners have grown up tall front hedges or installed high fences to try and provide some level of privacy. However, this reduces surveillance opportunities and aids offenders in targeting properties. Conversely, other properties have removed walls and hedges in order to create parking spaces, thus diminishing some of the defendable space around their properties.

The transient nature of the residential population means that it is challenging to implement and maintain effective community solutions such as Neighbourhood Watches, although there is an active social media community serving the area and a Key Individual Network of a small number of community leaders willing to work with the authorities to address local issues.

There are some public buildings, but next to no public amenity space within the area.

The shops provide the main purpose for people to visit the area, so most surveillance is passing by. The independent nature of the local shops and businesses means that these are often run on tight budgets which has also made it difficult to successfully introduce schemes such as Shop Watch to the area.

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Recommendations

The chance of being caught is often what discourages the criminal, and many of our success come from early indications that a crime is in progress. The presence of a capable guardian is still probably the best crime prevention tool there is and anything that can be done to improve the number of eyes and ears on the ground is to be encouraged.

With this in mind a number of recommendations are made, including the implementation of overt CCTV cameras as both a deterrent and assistance with intelligence and crime investigation; crime prevention advice and education, such as encouragement to keep the view into their front door unobscured whilst limiting the freedom of movement into rear areas; and community capacity building to increase resident engagement and involvement in securing and surveying their own local area, assisting each other and the authorities in tackling crime.

Whilst personal CCTV cameras can be a visual deterrent, they are only beneficial if they cover the vulnerable access points and are maintained.

The easiest form of reliable and monitored capture to deliver and sustain would be an increase in Local Authority CCTV capabilities on the main stretch of road, Christchurch Road, Seabourne Road, and Southbourne Grove. The introduction of ‘Pan, Tilt and Zoom’ cameras and fixed cameras on select junctions will offer capability to monitor suspicious activity and a line of sight into the entry roads into the residential areas.

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4. Ownership Places that promote a sense of ownership, respect, territorial responsibility and community

The EVA has already highlighted how the high prevalence of rented accommodation in the area, with absent landlords and a transient population, removes personal ownership and responsibility.

Similarly, it has also been highlighted how local shop and business owners no longer live above their premises as occurred originally when the area was developed, further reducing a sense of local community. Many shop fronts are clean and well-presented yet continue to have a clear vulnerability.

Long lines of detached, or semi-detached homes have grown up on the back streets and enable some element of neighbourhood and, as referenced before there is a small but vocal local social media presence and handful of key community leaders in the area.

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Recommendations

Partners need to be quite robust on identifying who is responsible for an area and use any tools available to encourage that person to take steps to enhance security by taking responsibility. If implemented, the Selective Licensing Scheme being proposed for the area will go some way to assist with this.

Otherwise, efforts to engage with the community to build capacity for Watch Schemes and similar to generate a sense of community among local residents and for them to work proactively together with the authorities to problem solve issues must be encouraged. Proportionate awareness raising and information provision on the crime risks faced, and simple prevention measures, is also advocated.

The introduction of new neighbourhood watch schemes in the area and new crime prevention initiatives to existing schemes will help support this feeling of community cohesion and could assist in community action. In other areas, Watch Schemes go door to door advising residents of recent crime and offer basic prevention advice, a scheme like this could go a long way, and could help identify potentially vulnerable residents.

Police Cadets could also be used to encourage community cohesion in the area. They could attend community meetings, distribute informational leaflets, and encourage local children to buy into the scheme, providing local youths with a sense of community pride and ownership.

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5. Physical Protection Places that include necessary, well-designed security features

The EVA identified a number of vulnerabilities in the area in terms of physical protection and barriers to crime, many of which have already been highlighted earlier in the assessment. These include:

• A lack of surveillance – formal, informal or natural • Poor building security – • The transient local population and lack of ownership of crime awareness and prevention

The ‘Broken Window’ theory could be argued to have taken hold in the area, with a lack of ownership and management of property security in particular to have grown and associated issues escalating as a result. Similarly, where offenders identify .

Finances are also an issue, with a prevalence of low-income households and small independent businesses in the area, making security and crime prevention a lower priority than might otherwise be the case.

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Recommendations

Exploring ways to assist local residents in target hardening and protecting their property. Measures would include an expansion of the recently launched Bobby Van scheme (or similar) in Dorset to provide proactive targeted home security advice and installations (eg door and window locks) to households in the area.

As per the previous recommendation of a Bobby Van, this could also patrol the area looking for vulnerable houses/entry points. During this process, although they have no police powers, it provides a physical presence in the area to help detect and report crime.

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6. Activity Places where the level of human activity is appropriate to the location and creates a reduced risk of crime and a sense of safety at all times

This is a particular challenge given the lack of shared public space and amenities in the area. Activity is primarily focused on visitors to and from the shops and businesses on the main through roads, hence the current issues with a lack of natural surveillance other than short-term visitors to the area.

In terms of physical layout, the old back alleys have become hidden pathways with many of the lanes leading to buildings being remote from passing footfall and having very little lighting or surveillance. Individual properties would benefit from enhanced gating,

Recommendations

With no easy solutions to these challenges a range and package of measures are recommended and include:

• CCTV to enhance formal surveillance of key access routes to the smaller roads and alleys. This could include mobile CCTV units/cameras, however, these have previously proven difficult to manage . • Proactive target hardening to improve security hardware • Advice, information and encouragement around preventative measures such as gates, fences and enhancing natural surveillance • Capacity building to increase community buy-in and responsibility to help problem solve

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7. Management and Maintenance Places that are designed with management and maintenance in mind, to discourage crime in the present and the future

This EVA has already highlighted the challenges of attempting to engage with multiple landlords, residents and other stakeholders given the prevalence of private rented accommodation and transient nature of the population.

The proposed BCP Council Selective Licensing Scheme will assist with this in some way if approved given that landlords will need to adhere to set standards to obtain and retain their registration.

Recommendations

Again, whilst difficult, efforts to engage landlords and residents to raise awareness of issues and crime prevention steps is recommended to help create a sense of ownership and community in addressing local crime and ASB problems.

Agency-led solutions such as CCTV installation and proactive target hardening work will demonstrate to residents a commitment to invest in the area to tackle crime and help promote the need for them to reciprocate and work together with us to achieve shared outcomes.

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