Home Office funding secured by the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner will help to make the streets of Holyhead safer.

North Wales PCC Andy Dunbobbin yesterday (Monday, 25 July) welcomed news that his £1.5 million bid for North Wales had been successful.

The Safer Streets Fund is a £75 million Home Office programme that encourages Police and Crime Commissioners and local authorities to bid for investment for initiatives to prevent neighbourhood crime. Funding from the fourth round will go towards supporting projects in Holyhead, as well as Wrexham and Deeside.

The project aims to support areas experiencing crime across England and Wales, such as domestic burglary, robbery, theft, vehicle crime, anti-social behaviour (ASB), and violence against women and girls (VAWG) in public spaces, including in the night-time economy.

The Police and Crime Commissioner’s team worked closely with North Wales Police, Anglesey County Council, Holyhead Town Council, domestic abuse support provider, Gorwel, and Holyhead High School.

The Holyhead Town project will see £692,149 go towards a number of projects, including:

• improved street lighting in around the town centre and the installation of new and upgraded lighting and 21 CCTV cameras
• provision of target hardening and crime prevention packs for 250 properties to help prevent neighbourhood crime
• provision of high visibility police patrols to help tackle and prevent VAWG offences and ASB as part of night-time economy

A youth intervention fund jointly administered by the PCC’s office and Holyhead Youth Services will also support young people. Peer-led initiatives and interventions will also improve diversionary activities for young people in Holyhead, alongside the provision of youth shelters and youth outreach work.

Anglesey Council’s Housing and Community Safety portfolio holder, Councillor Alun Mummery, said, “Community safety is a priority for us as a Council; and we work very closely with our partners, especially North Wales Police, to ensure that Anglesey is a safe place to live, work and visit.”

“This significant Safer Streets funding will be put to good use as part of the Holyhead Town project. This funding provides a real opportunity to make a difference in the town centre; and we look forward to continued co-operation with Holyhead Town Council, our partners in the emergency services and support from the Gwynedd and Môn Community Safety Partnership.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, Andy Dunbobbin, added, “I am delighted that our bid for funding from the Safer Streets initiative for projects in Holyhead town centre has been such a success. With this award of funding, Holyhead will see new lighting and infrastructure, improved CCTV provision, help given to householders to improve security, and a focus on youth services and engaging with young people.”

“As part of my plan for policing, I am determined that residents and visitors to Holyhead feel as safe and secure as possible in their community, and this funding will go a great way to tackling anti-social behaviour hotspots in the town. I would like to thank everyone involved in making sure we secured this money – from Anglesey County Council, to Holyhead Town Council, Gorwel and the local High School.”

Ends 26 July 2022