A leading Conservative Councillor is delighted at the progress that has been made to combat problems at a troubled underpass in Stivichall.
In March, Earsldon Ward Councillor Allan Andrews, who was then chair of the Earlsdon Neighbourhood Forum, urged action at the subway which runs under the Kenpas Highway and is used by schoolchildren attending Finham Park School and Stivichall Primary School.
After being contacted by concerned residents and visiting the underpass with residents he called for a multi-agency approach to combat problems such as graffiti, litter and anti-social behaviour.
Following meetings with various groups including residents, police, schools and the probation service, Cllr Andrews believes huge progress has now been made. Missing bins have been replaced, the subway has been thoroughly cleaned and the Probation Service has used people on Community Payback schemes to repaint it.
An agreement has also been made with Finham Park Secondary School for pupils to undertake an annual art project to paint and update murals, giving ‘ownership’ of the underpass to the local community. The police presence has also been increased in an effort to discourage anti-social behaviour.
Commenting on the progress made, Cllr Andrews, who has recently become the new Deputy Leader of Coventry Conservatives, said: “The response to this problem has been excellent and very swift for local government. I called for a multi-agency approach to tackle the problems and chaired a roundtable discussion of senior officers to outline the problems that were of concern to residents.
“Initiatives like the mural painting will hopefully give people a sense of ownership over the underpass and help reduce anti-social behaviour. This issue was raised when I was chair of the Earlsdon Neighbourhood Forum and I was really keen to get a plan of action in place and demonstrate to people the real benefits of coming along, meeting members of their community and getting local issues dealt with.”
There are 18 neighbourhood forums that meet quarterly across the city. These are attended by Ward Councillors, street service experts and the police and aim to act on local concerns. Anyone can attend.
To find out more about your local Forum where you live visit www.coventry.gov.uk/neighbourhoodforums