Newcastle is named a Respect Action Area

Page content

Newcastle was named one of 40 Respect Action Areas by the Government today in recognition of its hard work tackling anti-social behaviour.
 It means Newcastle City Council could receive up to £615,000 over the next 14 months for initiatives to tackle the causes and the symptoms of anti-social behaviour.
Deputy leader of Newcastle City Council, Coun David Faulkner said: "Every time we speak to local residents anti-social behaviour nearly always comes up as their number one concern. "It really can make lives a misery so we are delighted that the Government has recognised we are making progress and wants us to tackle the problem in a more concerted manner with more money.
"By working with families, and in particular parents to get them to challenge unacceptable behaviour, we are tackling the root cause of the problem.’’

The Government published its Respect Action plan in January 2006 to address a range of issues relating to anti-social behaviour and invited councils to apply for Respect Action Area status.

Following a number of visits by the Home Office’s Respect Task Force to discuss the council’s application it was chosen as one of 40 areas nationally to be given status.

Using the Government’s extra money the council will be expected to do five things:

• Set up a family intervention project that changes the behaviour of families who cause anti-social problems (location yet to be decided)
• Run parenting programmes for families at risk of anti-social
  behaviour or families behaving anti-socially
• Renew a commitment to using a range of tools to tackle anti-social behaviour such as Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) and Dispersal Orders
• Promote and ensure adoption of the Respect Housing Management Standard by key landlords in the local area including the council’s arms length management organisation Your Homes Newcastle which looks after 31,000 council houses
• And demonstrating openness and accountability through Face the People sessions where officers and councillors meet with residents to discuss issues relating to ant-social behaviour and crime.
  
  Kevin McGready is the Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator for Safe Newcastle, a council-led partnership of organisations set up to tackle crime and drug misuse and promote community confidence in local communities.
  
  Kevin said: "Respect is about the Government, local agencies and communities working together to build a society in which we can respect one another – where anti-social behaviour is reduced and tackled effectively so communities can live together peacefully.
  
  "In Newcastle we tackle anti-social behaviour through enforcement and prevention work as well as supporting families.
  
  "Being a Respect Area means we now have the resources to tackle the social causes of anti-social behaviour by working with all council services, partners and local communities.’’
  
  For the remainder of this financial year the council could receive up to £190,000 for tackling anti-social behaviour and a further sum up to £425,000 for 2007/08.