Offenders will start work on the second of five city grotspots to be transformed as a result of the ‘Justice Seen Justice Done’ campaign’s public vote, which asked Nottingham’s residents to decide the priority order in which various neglected areas should receive attention.
Broxtowe Country Park will be given a total revamp by offenders sentenced to Community Payback - a scheme involving tough physical work on projects that benefit the community. The park, located in the heart of the Broxtowe Estate, is currently underused by local residents due to its run-down state.
Supervised by Nottinghamshire Probation Area and working in partnership with the Nottingham City Council NEAT team and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue service, offenders will help breathe new life into the area by:
- Clearing large items which have been fly tipped,
- Repairing and paint railings
- Picking litter
- Planting thorny bushes along the residential boundary to deter criminals from using gardens as get-away routes
- Making improvements to the children’s play area
A total of 535 Nottingham residents voted for which Community Payback projects they wanted to see offenders carry out first from a list of five. The three week vote was held during April through the directgov website as part of the "Justice Seen, Justice Done" campaign to raise awareness of Community Payback as a tough punishment for criminals.
Allan Breeton, Neighbourhood Crime and Justice co-ordinator at Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership said: ‘Nottingham’s public gave their views on how and where they wanted justice to be seen and done and we are taking them seriously. The work planned for Broxtowe Country Park will make a vast improvement to the area, and make a neglected green space accessible to the community once again’.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service are working with the Community Payback Team as part of a scheme to identify areas of the city at risk of being set alight. Station Manager Dave Broughton said: "We are so pleased to have been involved with this scheme, as we have been able to identify areas we regard as hot-spots, and which could present a danger to local people. The work the offenders do will be of great benefit to us as they will help to reduce the fire risk, and it is also a highly visible way for them to contribute to the local communities."
