The Hartlepool neighbourhood named worst for burglaries to get beefed-up security after surge in crime

The Burn Valley area has been named as having the highest residential burglary rate of the entire Cleveland area, at 40.09 per 1,000 population, after seeing a spike in the crime of more than 30% in just two years.To help tackle the problem, plans for an overhaul of 38 alley gates in the area have been submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council’s planning department.

It comes after it was announced last year Hartlepool’s Burn Valley, including Oxford Road and adjacent ‘ladder’ streets, would be one of three areas receiving funding for a major overhaul in crime prevention measures.

This would include improved alley gates, increased CCTV and street lighting, and came after Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner helped secure £1,034,696 from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund, which aims to prevent crime.

Plans for the latest alley gate improvements will see spiked anti-climb attachments installed on top of 38 alley gates across the Burn Valley area.

Proposals note work will also include a maintenance programme of the gates, with some having been subject to vandalism.

Planning documents note Burn Valley was selected for funding due to having the highest residential burglary rate of the entire Cleveland area, at 40.09, per 1,000 population.

A design and access statement said: “Whilst acknowledged that alley-gates are fitted to most alleyways in the target area, overtime the lack of ownership and maintenance of the gates and supporting structures has led them to become ineffective.

“Hartlepool Borough Council will thus reinvigorate an alley-gate management and inspection programme, ensuring long term effectiveness and efficiency.

“An assessment of the area also highlighted how some of the alley gates do not have sufficient anti-climb devices fitted to the tops of them. Also some gates had been vandalised and meshing cut or damaged.

“Addressing this issue by fitting adequate anti-climb devices to the necessary areas also forms a part of our bid, along with carrying out repairs to the existing work.”

The spiked anti-climb attachments will increase the height of the gates by 35cm in total to help prevent anyone being able to climb over them.

Planning documents noted between 2017 and 2019 the burglary crime rate increased in Burn Valley by a third, and the acquisitive crime rate over the same period currently sits at 90.98 per 1,000 of the population.

The Burn Valley area is also identified as being within the top 10% of the most deprived areas in England.

The project has been split into two schemes defined by recorded levels of crime, and it is envisaged that Scheme 1 will be implemented followed immediately by Scheme 2.

Both pedestrian and vehicular access through the gates will not be affected in any way due to the anti-climbing attachments being installed, council officers noted.

A decision is expected to be made on the plans by the council planning department next month.

To view and comment on the planning applications visit the Hartlepool Borough Council planning portal online and search reference numbers H/2020/0441 and H/2020/0442.

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