Following our campaign to securing a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for The Vine to tackle a worrying rise in antisocial behaviour, I was delighted to hear last week that its introduction has been resounding success. Reports of anti-social behaviour at the site having dropped dramatically to almost none.
The District Council and local police have done an excellent job in making The Vine a safe space for all, and they deserve recognition for their efforts.
When the PSPO was first introduced, I was surprised that Liberal Democrat councillors chose not to support the measure. One of their arguments at the time was it would simply move problems elsewhere – however the evidence proves this hasn’t happened. I hope they now accept this decision was a mistake, and will support future measures to tackle anti-social behaviour locally including supporting the PSPO’s renewal when the time comes.
Antisocial behaviour is not a ‘low-level’ crime and that’s why I and your local Conservative councillors are determined to bring a stop to it locally.
The Vine is now once again hopefully a safe space for residents to use and enjoy. But if you, or someone you know, experiences local antisocial behaviour, please do ensure you report it to either the council or the police, it’s really important that any instances are recorded as they will affect policing patrols.
I have also recently heard back from South East Water, regarding the water outage which affected parts of the town last month. As some of you may remember there were two main concerns which followed the incident; why were residents not informed sooner and why was there was no effective backup generator.
I followed up with South East Water who said that they chose not to issue an alert on Sunday, as past experience suggested that early warnings can lead to increased water usage, draining tanks more quickly. Whilst I understand this approach, I have been clear that residents have expressed a desire to be informed sooner, and they have accepted this.
As for the backup generator, while one was in place, a mechanical fault caused by the power failure led to its breakdown. This resulted in site flooding, which required clearing before repairs could be made, causing further delays. South East Water has since conducted a review, replaced all faulty components, and put additional spares in place to hopefully ensure a quicker response in future incidents.
I will continue to advocate for residents and remain in close contact with South East Water.
