Plans revealed to stop anti-social driving menace in Peterborough

New plans have been revealed to put an end to the dangerous driving and drifting that has caused misery to scores of residents and businesses in the city.

Workers at firms in Tresham Road in Orton – and residents living near the estate – have said noise and other issues around late night car meetings have made their lives a misery in recent years.

There have also been a series of collisions on the road, leading to fears someone could be seriously injured – or worse – at the meetings. Staff have also been left to clear up mess left during the meetings – which has even seen people use walls and doorways as toilets.

Residents and businesses have made calls for action – including a bigger police presence, CCTV cameras, speed bumps – and even lockable gates to the estate.

Action plan drawn up

Now an action plan has been created by Peterborough City Council and a number of Tresham Road businesses.

Local councillors are to receive weekly updates from the council on how the actions listed in the plan are progressing.

So far, there has been an agreement to install additional CCTV; any licenced food vans present at such meets are being identified and an investigation into whether speed bumps could be installed – and what impact that could have on the businesses.

Further work is planned, including signs to be erected at street entrance advising of CCTV; each business on the street will have the facility to submit its own CCTV footage to the authorities; locks for the carparks will be investigated; there will be more lobbying of police for regular ‘nights of action’ with a dog unit in attendance; the council will sweep the public roads on Monday mornings, and initiate an implementation of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which targets the keeper of the vehicle with enforcement action.

Peterborough City Council has previously said it is looking to introduce an injunction to prevent anti-social driving – but legal issues elsewhere in the country have prevented it from implementing it.

Councillor ‘warmly welcomes’ action

Orton Waterville councillor Julie Stevenson, who has campaigned for action to be taken on the issue, welcomed the news.

She said: “As a councillor for the area I warmly welcome these initiatives and thank the council, police, landowner and local businesses for working together to find practical solutions to what has become a chronic problem in our area.

"We will continue to work together until the area is completely free of this menace, and continue to wait for the injunction that will ban the activity completely.

"We have tried for many years to reach agreement with event organisers. However, the situation as it currently stands cannot be allowed to continue as it is unsafe, unfair and costing local business a great deal of money in terms of clean-up costs.”