Residents make 'urgent call' for action over anti-social behaviour in Peterborough neighbourhood

After years of being faced with anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhood, residents of Green Lane, Millfield, say they are at their “wits end”.

For the past few years the area been blighted by ASB incidents. Despite some measures being taken by police and the council – the issue persists.

Now residents say they have been forced to take action by asking offenders to move away, picking up needles and other litter themselves, and cutting down hedges in the hope of deterring unwanted behaviour.

Silvana Petzold got in touch to say: “This is a serious issue affecting myself and my neighbours in PE13BA, Green Lane.

“We have been experiencing a significant amount of anti-social behaviour, including drinking, drug dealing and usage, prostitution, and littering.

“Despite raising these concerns with various council wards (Park and Central) over the past few years, little to no action has been taken. We've been told the car park, a focal point for these issues, is not council property, yet a land registry search revealed otherwise.”

Silvana said the residents have created a Whatsapp group to keep each other informed and safe. They also all have CCTV or doorbell cameras as they are so concerned about their safety.

“Some of the families here have very young children, and other residents are elderly and feel very vulnerable,” she said.

“Something needs to be done – we are at our wit's end. Repeated attempts to have the area addressed, including police presence, council visits, and media coverage, have yielded no lasting solutions.”

She said a bucket of human waste was even found at the site, which the council later removed.

“While a recent cleaning attempt was made on the car park, it was superficial and did not address the underlying issues,” she added.

"We desperately need a solution. Whether it's removing the yellow bars these people sit on, filling in planted areas with concrete, or erecting a fence, something needs to be done to deter this criminal activity.”

Silvana also contacted MP Andrew Pakes, calling on him to make Green Lane a safer environment. Responding, Mr Pakes said he would pass on her concerns to the council, and ask to be kept informed about about progress there.

Park Ward councillor Angus Ellis has also offered to meet with residents there to look at the issues.

Commenting on the concerns, Insp Sam Tucker, from the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), said: “We are aware of concerns from residents in the Green Lane area and officers from the local NPT are working closely with partner agencies to tackle any criminal and anti-social behaviour.

“Following community feedback, this issue has previously been set as a priority for the NPT who been carrying out both high-visibility and plain-clothed patrols, conducting stop-searches and regularly attending community meetings and events in the area to update the local community and obtain information.

“This specific area also falls under ‘Alliance’ which is a partnership, community-focused, piece of work to rescue and regenerate an area of Millfield which has been highlighted as affected by organised crime. It has been underway as part of the Home Office’s three-phase ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ initiative since last year and uses a combination of targeted high-visibility police operations and covert policing tactics alongside activity from partners and input from residents to protect communities and prevent organised crime groups (OCGs) from operating. Alliance is a long-term plan involving agencies such as Cambridgeshire Police, Peterborough City Council and various other public sector organisations, working alongside voluntary and community groups to build a better future for areas most affected by organised crime.”

A spokesperson for PCC said: “We are aware of anti-social behaviour issues in the car park in Green Lane and officers will be meeting with Cambridgeshire Police this week to discuss and determine what support can be provided. In the meantime, we would urge anyone affected by anti-social behaviour to contact ourselves or the police.”