As part of Neighbourhood Week of Action in 2024, the Engagement and Communities Officers and Tenancy Management team at Community Gateway joined forces with the Neighbourhood Policing Team to respond to concerns raised by tenants and residents about increasing anti-social behaviour (ASB) on Ashmoor Street in the City Centre.
Teams from Community Gateway, local councillors, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), Police Cadets and the Designing Out Crime Officer all took part in a Day of Action in January 2024. They spoke with tenants and residents and listened to their concerns around ASB, particularly around drug dealing and drug use.
A consultation carried out on the day showed that:
The underpasses were also found to contain drug paraphernalia, signs of rough sleeping, and human waste, clearly highlighting a need for action.
In response, a second Day of Action was held in March 2024, this time with a focus on reassuring tenants and residents that reports are being monitored and followed up by both CGA and the Police. The aim was to show that every report helps inform the next steps and that joint working is key to long-term change.
Following on from the Days of Action, Lancashire Police submitted a funding bid to Lancashire Partnership Against Crime (LANPAC) to have four gates installed to secure both ends of the two underpasses. However, the bid was unsuccessful as no match funding was available at the time.
Determined to tackle the issues reported by tenants and residents, CGA approved funding for the four gates to be installed and in June 2025, the installation was completed.
As part of our commitment to making the communal areas clean, safe and well maintained, Community Gateway teams made new bin stores, creating a much tidier space that the community can feel good about.
Since then, CGA and the Neighbourhood Policing Team have returned to Ashmoor Street to consult with tenants and residents about the gate installations.
The feedback from both the community and the Police demonstrated an increased feeling of safety and security in the area.
Feedback from those living in the area included:
"I feel safer since the gates have gone up".
"The area is much better now the gates are installed; there isn't people hanging around anymore".
"Before the gates were installed, I couldn't open my windows due to the smell of drugs, now I can".
The Police shared that from the period of June 2025 to September 2025, there had been a 52% decrease in ASB nuisances in the area of Ashmoor Street compared to the same time the previous year.
Since the gates have been installed, we have not had any further reports of ASB concerning this area.