15236/04GAZETTE & HERALD: A TASK force set up to halt yobbish behaviour on a Chippenham housing estate received a cash boost on Tuesday.

The group was formed to look into ways of improving life on the Redland estate after residents said they were sick of gangs, dumped cars, rubbish bags piling up and graffiti.

The number of calls to police has fallen in the six months since the Community Safety Partnership, made up of representatives from Westlea Housing Association, North Wiltshire District Council, Wiltshire County Council and the police as well as charitable organisations, was set up.

Now it has been given £7,000 by Westlea to help it make the area less attractive to vandals and youths .

The donation means the partnership will now be able to implement its plans for high level lighting, lockable enclosures for wheelie bins, replacing shrubs near the trees with low maintenance ground cover plants, providing a ring of bollards to prevent unauthorised parking and adding planting tubs.

The estate's district and town councillor and chairman of the partnership, Nina Phillips, said she was pleased with how they had been working as she described living with the anti-social behaviour as hell. "There had been youths drinking and smoking outside the shop and, when the weather was warmer, spending the night there and swearing," she said.

"A lot of people have been frightened by the situation which is why we had to act and have the multi-agency group."

Coun Phillips said she wanted to find out through consultation whether people were satisfied with the suggestions to tackle the yobs.

"We didn't want to put up lots of bollards and then have people complaining about it," she said. "So far I have only had people who are happy with how we are progressing and there won't be the anti-social social behaviour there has been."

A North Wiltshire District Council spokesman said there has been a significant improvement in Redland over the past six months.

"Since the group was formed the police are receiving less calls regarding anti-social behaviour and some residents have already noticed improvements," he said.

"There is still work to be done in this area and the Community Safety Partnership will look to continue to support dynamic and creative initiatives to reduce anti-social behaviour in Redland and across Wiltshire."

Community support officers have been patrolling the estate and members of the Wiltshire Bobby Van team have advised residents on home security.

The council spokesman added: "We conducted a blitz clean up of the area. Graffiti was removed and the rubbish collected. Westlea oversaw the removal of a dumped car behind the shops.

"Youth workers visited the area to engage with some of the young people promoting the youth projects, which are taking place at the Bridge Centre.

"The aim is to improve the look of the area and help prevent the likelihood of anti-social behaviour returning."

Acting Chief Inspector for Wiltshire Police, Neil Bagnell, said the force was delighted to work within the partnership for forge improvements, which seem to be paying off.

"We are appearing to receive fewer calls to the area but there's still a little work to do," he said.

Lorraine Kiely, who lives at Redland, said the area has improved and she hopes it continues.

"It was quite bad. There was a lot of rubbish and in the summer kids were sleeping by the shops.

"People were being intimidated when they were going to the cash machine. We have quite a big pedestrian area and traffic also used to mount it because it's closer to the shop.

"To give the council credit they are cleaning up the rubbish."