The Government has named its ‘first wave’ of 40 respect areas that will serve as champions for tackling anti-social behaviour.
Part the Government’s Respect Action Plan, officials have based their selections on the areas’ ‘willingness to do more’ to improve communities.
All 40 Respect Areas have signed up to five targets:
- Family intervention projects to tackle ‘neighbours from hell’;
- More parenting classes for parents struggling with troublesome children;
- Face the People sessions where the police, local authorities and others can be accountable to their local public;
- Keep up the relentless action to tackle anti-social behaviour by using the full range of tools and powers available;
- Using the Respect Housing Standard to prevent and deal with any problems in social housing.
The Department for Education and Skills has also backed this by investing a further £6M for parenting classes in the 40 areas in 2007/2008.
Minister are also citing new research which they claim shows significant increases in the powers being used by local councils and police to clamp down on anti-social behaviour. The results of the crime and disorder reduction partnership can be found at www.respect.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id=9822.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said that communities had made considerable progress making use of powers in place to make neighbourhoods safer.
| “We want to extend this good practice across the country... |
| Prime Minister Tony Blair |
Louise Casey, the Government Coordinator for Respect, said:
“This first group of 40 Respect Areas has earned the right to be champions of the Respect programme but everywhere across the country we are beginning to see progress being made – the uplift in the use of powers in a larger number of areas show that the police and local authorities now have the know how to tackle the problems”.
The Government is also publishing a Respect Handbook, which aims to galvanise local agencies into action and urges them to ‘face the people’ and be held accountable by their public.
The 40 Respect Areas are:
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Birmingham City Council
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Blackpool Council
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Bournemouth Borough Council
Brighton and Hove City Council
Bristol City Council
Birmingham City Council
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Blackpool Council
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Bournemouth Borough Council
Brighton and Hove City Council
Bristol City Council
Coventry City Council
Derby City Council
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
Exeter City Council
Gloucester City Council
Harlow District Council
Hastings Borough Council
Ipswich Borough Council
Kingston upon Hull City Council
Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Leeds City Council
Leicester City Council
Liverpool City Council
Manchester City Council
Derby City Council
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
Exeter City Council
Gloucester City Council
Harlow District Council
Hastings Borough Council
Ipswich Borough Council
Kingston upon Hull City Council
Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Leeds City Council
Leicester City Council
Liverpool City Council
Manchester City Council
