Alley gate scheme to cut crime in Leeds

Hundreds of homes in east Leeds are to be made safer thanks to a £22,000 scheme that’s right up their alley.

In a bid to combat crime and anti-social behaviour, East North East Homes Leeds (ENEHL) has installed security gates and fences at the ends of a number of alleyways on the Aysgarth estate in Richmond Hill.

One of the three Arms Length Management Organisations that manage and maintain council housing in the city on behalf of Leeds City Council, ENEHL installed gates and fencing in 14 different locations on the estate, which it is hoped will help tackle ongoing problems with anti-social behaviour and crime

The fences and gates work by blocking the various alleyways which currently provide congregating points and escape routes for perpetrators. It is also hoped the move will make residents feel safer.

ENEHL’s Partnership Team worked with partners to install the alley-gates to ginnels and received £12,500 from the council’s Inner East Area Committee to help them do this.

Before the scheme could go ahead, ENEHL made sure there was backing from the residents and feedback was very positive, with 95% of Aysgarth residents in favour of the scheme and 75% believing it was very important to the area.

ENEHL will be monitoring the effectiveness of the gates each year to see how effective they are by using crime statistics and a ‘fear of crime’ survey.

Angelena Fixter, chair of the ENEHL board, said: "Alley-gating is a proven success in helping reduce incidents of crime and contribute to making residents feel safer. It also gives out a clear message people intent on causing antisocial behaviour - stay out.”

Sheila brown, a resident on the estate, said: "The gates are brilliant! With the extra security I much feel safer in my home, as well as having more privacy the only people who are using the alleys now are those who live on the estate and have stopped the problems we had been experiencing here".