AN estate in Ross-on-Wye that suffers badly from crime and anti-social behaviour is now being addressed by various bodies.

In July Ross Town Councillor Milly Boylan informed members about the problems residents of Old Market Close were facing on a daily basis and she stated that multiple victims were being attacked at random.

Cllr Boylan added that there had been some 35 anti-social behaviour incidents had been reported this year and suggested that urgent action should be taken immediately to resolve the situation.

Following this publicity, a meeting between various bodies was subsequently held to assess the situation, which was attended by local police, Platform Housing association, the landlord for the affected properties, local councillors, Herefordshire Council and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman.

The MP and various representatives of the organisations visited some of the residents, many of which were deemed vulnerable.

Since the meeting the housing association has embarked on a programme of repairs, some of which have been waiting to be resolved for a substantial amount of time and other improvements as deemed necessary.

Cllr Boylan said: “The outcome of all this is for @the Hub in Ross to facilitate some form of community engagement day, which may help. Additionally there are plans being put forward to help tidy up and clean up the area.

“However, I feel that the Ross community in general, needs to support this part of the town.

“I would urge that anyone from this estate, who is struggling with debts, benefit issues, mental health problems, or anxiety in which ever form it takes, to come to @the Hub.

“I’m hopeful that we can involve representatives from various organisations to ensure that social housing in the area is kept up to a reasonable standard by the landlords, in this case Platform Housing, because this seems to be a wide-spread issue.

“I would suggest that more regular flat inspections are carried out for tenancies which would protect the incoming tenant and identify any issues so that it can be addressed and if necessary, supported within the community.

“However, the most important aspect of this is to recognise that the vast majority of people who live in Old Market Close are decent families who are trying to lead reasonable lives.

“We want to support them in achieving this. This would mean the lack of support currently available for ‘normal tenants’ is addressed by the housing association and therefore hopefully prevents any issues impacting on people’s physical and mental well-being.”

Marion Duffy, chief operations officer at Platform Housing Group said : “We are working with relevant partners to address the concerns raised by Cllr Boylan and have an action plan in place to ensure progress is made.”

Inspector James Ashton, who leads the Safer Neighbourhood Team in Ross, said: “We are working as part of a dedicated group, together with the housing association and local authority partners, to work through the issues raised and improve confidence for those living in the area.”

The inspector said that over the last year police officers had  been engaging with the local community, as well as partners, such as the local authority and housing and healthcare providers, to understand and address the issues raised. 

 Inspector Ashton concluded: “Old Market Close is an area of particular focus for the safer neighbourhood team and officers carry out regular patrols. As always, I would continue to encourage the public to report any crimes to us.

“If we don’t know about them then we’re not able to take action. Our officers are also always happy to chat about any concerns you may have so please don’t hesitate to speak to us.

“You can also keep up to date with the work the local policing team are doing, as well as contact them directly, by signing up to our free community messaging service at neighbourhoodmatters.co.uk.”