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Safer Streets funding

West Northants Council and Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner's Office have secured significant funding from the Home Office's Safer Streets programme since 2020.

The funding is focused on:

  • tackling crime
  • anti-social behaviour
  • and violence against women and girls

Help points

The Wireless CCTV help points are located at several points on both the Racecourse and Becket's Park, as well as at the top of Abington Street across from the Old Savoy, and at the corner of Gold Street and Drapery in the town centre.

The help points are for use in case of emergency, and once activated the button alerts the control room and begins recording. An operator will speak to you to find out the emergency and if appropriate, send Police help to your location.

Help points are for emergencies only and inappropriate use could lead to prosecution. 

The OPFCC got over £466,000 for 3 projects in Northamptonshire to stop home break-ins, car theft, and violence against women and girls.

Stand Up to Crime

This project is in the Weston area of Northampton and North Northants. It uses Smartwater to help get back stolen items and Immobilise to stop the sale of stolen goods.

M1 Services

Working with Roadchef, this project makes M1 services (15a and Watford Gap) safer with fences, lights, CCTV, ANPR improvements, and a crime stoppers campaign.

VAWG

The OPFCC is expanding the It Only Takes One campaign in train stations and training staff to spot signs of violence. West Northants Council is also funding marshals in Northampton town centre during busy times from December 2023.

Town Centre

The Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC) secured £448,000 for projects in Northampton and Kettering town centres. West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) focused on making physical improvements to Northampton town centre.

Here are the improvements:

  • installing a gate for Francis Jetty Alley under a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO)
  • adding better lighting at taxi ranks and other key locations
  • installing new CCTV cameras and upgrading an existing one

These changes were part of wider work by Northamptonshire OPFCC, which included providing ID scanning equipment for bars and delivering 'Stand by Her' training to address harassment.

You can learn more about OPFCC-led projects here.

Bellinge and Blackthorn

Funding of £99,000 was secured for improving the environment and providing activities for young people in these areas.

The work included:

  • reinstating 3 CCTV cameras in Bellinge, Fieldmill Square, and 3 more in Blackthorn Bridge Court (with extra funding used to complete the work)
  • adding a new CCTV camera at Spinneyside Walk in Blackthorn
  • upgrading up to 7 underpasses in Blackthorn with better lighting (using additional funding)
  • providing youth activities in the Bellinge area

Wellingborough Road and Bouverie Estate

New lighting was installed to make the area safer by improving visibility and reducing dark spaces. Overgrown shrubbery near the entrance to the estate and Wellingborough Road was also removed.

In partnership with the Office of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC), we successfully applied to the Home Office for over £500,000 to reduce crime and make communities safer in parts of Northampton. The Safer Streets fund was used to improve safety in and around the Racecourse and Becket’s Park.

In addition, the OPFCC was successful in its complementary ‘Safer Women At Night’ Home Office bid bringing in £300,000 to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls in the town centre’s Night Time economy.

Environmental:

  • Installation of CCTV cameras on the Racecourse and ANPR in the car park
  • Fencing securing the Racecourse Pavilion to prevent anti-social behaviour
  • 3 year Park Mark award for Racecourse, Midsummer Meadows and University of Northampton car parks
  • Additional lighting on Becket’s Park near the play area
  • Landscaping to cut back bushes along the safer route through the park towards town centre and improvements to the perimeter fencing
  • Installation of new ‘Help Points’ on Racecourse and Becket’s Park
  • Improvements made to the Safer Route including; new way marker flags, floor stencils and additional lighting on Guildhall Road

Capable guardianship:

  • University safety schemes including; upgraded radio equipment and pastoral training for security and chaperones, expansion of the Safe Zone app providing wearable safety devices for vulnerable students, student led drama to promote safety schemes and key messages, free student security packs and survival guide
  • 2 new Park Watch schemes set up in partnership with Northampton Neighbourhood Watch on the Racecourse and Becket’s Park

Education and awareness:

  • Personal safety sessions delivered by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust for students and local businesses, groups and residents
  • Community Safety and bike marking events delivered on both parks providing a range of free personal safety equipment to public

In 2020 The OPFCC successfully bid for the new Home Office ‘Safer Streets funding’ to reduce crime in Northampton, Kettering and Wellingborough in partnership with the local authorities. 

In Northampton:

  • CCTV was extended by adding a further 16 cameras in the Wellingborough Road area
  • 30 secure cycle pods were installed
  • Target hardening and lighting improvements offered to 250 homes
  • 1800 standard home security/crime prevention packs, and 550 enhanced security packs delivered to residents
  • Gating of Dunster Street alleyway to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour

More information can be found on the Northants Fire website.

Last updated 15 January 2025