Paignton residents rally for a safer town

More police patrols, CCTV, improved street lighting, and special street marshals—the people of Paignton have spoken in a bid to make the town safer for residents and visitors alike.

Enhancements will be made across Paignton as part of Safer Streets funding after residents had their say in a survey carried out by Torbay Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

There were 125 responses to the consultation, which ran during July and August and asked for people’s views on community safety.

Many people wanted to see better-maintained public spaces, increased uniformed patrols, more CCTV, and additional street lighting.

The Safer Streets programme, which runs in the town until the end of March, is targeted at tackling anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.

Last year, specialist crime reduction officers from Devon and Cornwall Police carried out an environmental visual audit—a walkthrough of an area to identify any issues for improvement. This picked up many of the same concerns highlighted by residents in the survey.

The following improvements—many raised through the survey and audit—have either already been introduced or will be in the coming months. They include:

• Improved street lighting

• More CCTV and associated signage

• A dedicated town centre officer for Paignton

• Crimestoppers signs to encourage anonymous reporting of criminal activity

• Neighbourhood Watch activity: a dedicated co-ordinator is in place to support existing volunteer co-ordinators and set up new schemes.

• Street marshals on Friday and Saturday nights until the end of March

• Improvements for Victoria Park (carried out by SWISCo):

• Cutting back trees to improve the quality of lighting on the Garfield Road entrance to the park

• Removing graffiti and stickers

• Installing cast iron wayfinding signposts

• Adding more bins

• Repairing of benches near the former skate park

• Removing seating near Victoria Square car park, which has become a magnet for anti-social behaviour

Cllr Hayley Tranter, Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services, Public Health, and Inequalities, said: “We want to ensure all our town centres remain safe and welcoming places for all.

Above: Cllr Hayley Tranter. Image: Torbay Council

“I’d like to thank all those who took part in our survey over the summer to identify further improvements we could make in Paignton. We’ve taken on board people’s comments, and these measures we’re taking should help to address those concerns.”

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “I’m delighted that so many Paignton residents have shared their views about community safety, and I welcome Safer Torbay’s plans to build on the good work already underway there, thanks to Safer Streets funding.

“I’ve made it my mission to tackle anti-social behaviour in the Bay area head-on and to drive down crime rates for good—for the benefit of residents and visitors alike. It’s through targeted measures such as improved street lighting and CCTV, as well as dedicated town centre officers and enhanced neighbourhood policing, that we’ll see a legacy of lasting change.