Cheltenham Town Centre Community

Parking Complaints in Cheltenham Lower High Street

Officers in Cheltenham are taking steps to deal with people parking on a pedestrian crossing.

The crossing, in the Lower High Street, is near to takeaways and a launderette and there have been problems with people persistently parking on the crossing and causing a danger to pedestrians.

On Sunday Feb 5, officers carried out patrols there and issued four tickets to motorists in just two hours.

Inspector Tim Waterhouse, who leads the Cheltenham South Local Policing Team, said: "We've received a number of complaints about people parking on the pedestrian crossing, which is obviously both irresponsible and dangerous.

"My officers established that one of the busiest periods was between 5 and 8pm on a Sunday evening, so they carried out extra patrols there last night.

"They issued four tickets and it was obvious that word soon spread, because very quickly other drivers realised what was happening and the road was then cleared of vehicles.

"We will visit the area again in the coming weeks, so I'd warn people not to park there as we won't hesitate to take action to stop this sort of irresponsible parking."

Lower High St Day Of Action

Police, Cheltenham Borough Council, trading standards and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency have been taking part in a day of action in the town.

On Tuesday January 24 officers took to the streets of Cheltenham in a day long initiative to target those involved in illegal activity.

Cheltenham Borough Council’s community protection team were checking alcohol and food premises in the area to ensure they were compiling with the conditions of their licence, including presenting their duty of care certificate to dispose of waste.

Any premises not complying with relevant legislation were dealt with by various means including receiving advice, warnings or the initiation of enforcement action.

They were also patrolling areas including Jenner Gardens, St Marys Churchyard and the Brewery for offences such as dropping rubbish and cigarettes, dog fouling and drinking in public places. The environmental health team were performing routine food and health and safety checks.

A shop on the High Street was visited by Training Standards and Local Policing Team and a large quantity of foreign cigarettes were seized.

Trevor Gladding, community protection manager: “Working in partnership with other agencies helps us to keep areas safe and clean. Our officers undertake high visibility foot patrols in problematic areas to deal with identified issues appropriately including giving suitable advice and possibly the issue of fixed penalty notices where offences take place. We also seek to educate the public about environmental crime and raise the profile of the issue.”

Inspector Tim Waterhouse said: “This was a really positive day and I hope the increased visible police presence was reassurance to all those who were in the town.

“Cheltenham is a safe place and we want to keep it that way. Yesterday was a great opportunity for us to work with our partner agencies to cause maximum disruption to the minority who are involved in crime.”

Officers arrested a total 5 people during the day and carried out three warrants.

One man was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis. The 52-year-old from Cheltenham was charged with possession of a class B drug, he has been bailed to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on February 10.

A woman was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting from the High Street in Cheltenham. The 32-year-old from Up Hatherley was charged with theft from a shop, she has been bailed to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates on February 24.

A 20-year-old man from Cheltenham was arrested on suspicion of theft, he has been released on police bail pending further enquiries until March 6. Another man, a 39-year-old from Cheltenham was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, he has been released on police bail until January 26. Another man, a 22-year-old from Derbyshire received a police caution for possession of cannabis.           

Police also stopped a man who was driving in the town; he was found to have no insurance and was fined £200 and given 6 penalty points on his licence.

Over 20 people were also stopped and searched in the prevention of crime.

Cycle Coding & Viewing

Cheltenham South Local Police Team (LPT) highly recommends that cyclists postcode their bike, using a UV pen. This acts as a deterrent to potential thieves and also makes it easier for police to return bikes to their rightful owners, should they be recovered.

The LPT recover a large quantity of bikes every month. All of which we try to return to their owner, however sometimes this is not always possible if the bike can’t be identified.

To help people get their bikes coded the LPT offer a free coding session on the second Saturday of every month, between 9am and 2pm.

During this time anyone who has lost or had their bike stolen can come along and have a look at bikes the team has recovered, to see if they can identify their own.

Cruisers within Cheltenham

For over a decade Cheltenham has been considered a prime location for car enthusiasts to meet, with the one-way inner ring road of Cheltenham Town Centre perceived as a good circuit for both drivers and spectators alike. 

Over recent years however, the cruise has moved out of the Town Centre and in to the Kingsditch area of Cheltenham.

Whilst the majority of those attending these events, typically held on a Sunday evening, are law abiding members of the public who have a keen interest in motor vehicles, there is a minority who lack consideration for other road users and local residents. Their behaviour ranges from minor antisocial behaviour and littering to inconsiderate and, at times, dangerous driving.

Police activity has, in the past, aimed to eradicate the cruise from Cheltenham. More recently however a different approach has been adopted.  The Cheltenham Cruiser Working Group (made up of a number of partners including the Police, Borough and Parish councils, Neighbourhood Watch, and local residents) focuses on targeting the antisocial and dangerous element of the cruise.

Operation Highlander Overt, launched on 4th September 2011, deployed officers to the Kingsditch area where they carried out high visibility patrols.  These officers, working closely with the Roads Police Unit, identified and processed drivers seen to be behaving in an unlawful manner.

Since its launch, complaints regarding the cruisers in that area have completely ceased.

In addition to bringing about a reduction in antisocial and dangerous driving, officers also initiated engagement between the police and those attending the cruise.  This police-cruiser collaboration is continuing with a view to ensure that those attending the cruise can do so in a safe and trouble free environment and without detriment to the local community.

Recent weeks have seen a slight increase in the numbers of cruisers using the inner ring road.  In response to this, officers are being deployed into this area to monitor behaviour and provide a visible deterrent to those who may otherwise break the law.

As we continue into 2012, the police are optimistic that the excellent progress that has been achieved over the last four months will continue, benefiting both the community and car enthusiasts alike.

If anyone has any questions or concerns relating to this issue, please feel free to contact Inspector Paul Cruise on 101 or via email – paul.cruise@gloucestershire.police.uk

ASB Complaints at Moo Moo’s

Back in April 2011 it was brought to police attention that residents in the area of Cambray Court were having problems with noise issues related to the nightclub MOO MOO’s.

Over the following months PCSO Lorraine Tatnell and PC Mark Love liaised with residents and the nightclub. PCSO Tatnell completed a survey with residents and the nightclub took various actions to tackle the problem including: sound proofing the smoking area and ensuring extra staff were outside when the club closed.

Other partner agencies also got involved in tackling the problems. These included Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucestershire University and NightSafe. Environmental Health also attended to do sound system checks.

Following on from the above further actions have also been taken. PCSO Tatnell is monitoring all incidents in the area taking appropriate action where necessary. Operation Milkshake was launched which involved plain clothed officers going into the club to make sure there were no problems. Extra patrols have also been put in place during the busy periods on a Monday night.

PCSO Tatnell has delivered letters to all residents updating them on the situation. Should you wish to discuss this matter further please contact PCSO Tatnell.

A further meeting was carried out and residents reported much improvement.

No further meeting are planned. However Police have since attended the club again on a Student Night and are happy that the club is adhering to Conditions set out by police and partner Agents 

Operation Urination

Late-night visitors to Cheltenham town centre who use the streets as a toilet are being given the option to avoid a fine by making amends with an old-fashioned mop and bucket.

Police in the town centre have overseen 15 people cleaning their mess from the streets as part of a new initiative to shame the culprits publicly and stamp out the antisocial behaviour. Anyone guilty of the offence is given the choice of washing it away the next day, or paying £80.

"It's disgusting and although people might see it as a bit of a joke, we make sure we ram home the message that it's not on," said PCSO Sue Greenwood, who came up with the idea.

"We think it is a powerful message to send out to people and help us win the fight."

The initiative was dreamed up after PCSO Greenwood received repeated complaints about the problem at town centre police surgeries.

She added that only those urinating against private property and in public areas were being targeted, while people sneaking behind bushes in parks were unlikely to be given the treatment.

Cheltenham Safe Partnership

Cheltenham Safe is a retail crime reduction scheme, working in partnership with the Police, Cheltenham Borough Council, the Chamber of Commerce and others to ensure that Cheltenham remains a safe place in which to live, visit and work and play! Daysafe – shops and retailers Over 70 town centre retailers work together as members of Daysafe, sharing and exchanging information on active shoplifters and fraudsters. Members are able to communicate with each other and also directly with the CCTV control room and Police by radio. Prolific or violent offenders are excluded from all members’ premises. Nightsafe – for the night-time economy Over 40 bars, clubs and restaurants are working together to raise standards and maintain customer safety. Operating a zero tolerance policy in respect of acts of violence or illegal drugs, offenders are banned from visiting all members’ venues – get banned from one venue, get banned from all! For more information visit: www.cheltenham-safe.org Or contact: info@cheltenham-safe.org   Tel. 01242 252323

Cheltenham West End Partnership

Cheltenham West End Partnership is a community      regeneration project working across the town centre, St Pauls and St Peters. We aim to facilitate or enable partnership working to help solve problems in these areas.

We are fortunate to own a community resource centre in Grove Street. This centre provides space for organisations to deliver services, hold meetings and run training courses. This space is available for rent at very affordable rates. Please contact us if interested.

We are also looking for volunteers to help us run the resource centre and get involved with local projects.

CHAMPS is one of the projects run by Cheltenham West End Partnership.

CHAMPS are trained volunteers who act as communication links between their communities and   local service providers.

CHAMPS are the eyes, ears and voice for their community. They identify with communities of geography, interest or need and make sure that needs are brought to the attention of the service providers. If you are interested in taking part in the training and becoming a CHAMP please get in touch.

Contact us: 01242 692112  - bernice.thomson@cwep.co.uk

Cheltenham Youth Café

The Youth Café is a pioneering project for Cheltenham giving young people from ages 11 -17 a safe and interesting place to not only meet and socialise, but also access educational support, advice and guidance where needed.

It is open every Thursday and Friday from 4.30pm-7.00pm throughout the year (including school holidays).

Various activities are available from art to cooking, pool to games consoles and more…

There is no entry fee, so everyone can join in regardless of finances!

The Café is staffed by experienced workers, plus volunteers from CCP’s pool of volunteers and students from the University of Gloucestershire. All staff are CRB checked and trained in working with young people and safeguarding procedures. Disabled access is available.

For more information you can find the Youth Café on Facebook, just search Cheltenham Youth Café or contact Chris Holder via email - christopher.holder@ccprojects.org.uk

Town Centre Neighbourhood Coordination Group (NCG)

The Town Centre NCG meets every three months to discuss issues affecting Cheltenham Town Centre. The group then decide which issues should be prioritised for the next three months, outlining actions to be undertaken to try and resolve the issue.

The panel consists of various different organisations, community groups and residents from the Town Centre. This includes:

• Police
• Cheltenham Borough Council
• Gloucestershire County Council
• CHAMPS
• West End Partnership
• Retail
• Residents groups.

The NCG is coordinated and chaired by Bernice Thomson who works for the West End Partnership based at the Community Resource Centre, Grove St, Cheltenham.

If you would like to get more involved with the NCG, or would like some more information, please contact Bernice Thomson on 01242 692112 or email bernice.thomson@cwep.co.uk