Garages stand boarded up and covered in graffiti, while areas by shops are strewn with milk bottles and lager cans – hardly the finest advert for Ditherington.
Behind the William Hill bookmakers are the remains of a small fire, while a hairdressers in the row of shops on Spring Gardens remains derelict as it has for many years. The Tesco Express store has for more than a year had security guards stationed at the entrance in evenings.
The area has also been hit by anti-social behaviour in the past, with both Shropshire Council and West Mercia Police treating the area as a high priority.
So it may come as a surprise to many that the mood among local enthusiasts is somewhat upbeat – and it’s having an effect on the locals.
The area, along with neighbouring Castlefields, was one of the first in the county to trial neighbourhood forums in 2008 to encourage local residents to speak to councillors, police officers, Severnside Housing officials and Shropshire Council officers.
While the trial project has since been overtaken by the advent of local joint committees, local residents continue to remain involved and the neighbourhood forum for the two areas was relaunched last month under the new name of Castlefields and Ditherington Community Partnership.
It’s clearly having an effect too. Castlefields has seen a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour, with crime figures down 44 per cent on last year, according to the latest police figures.
And in Ditherington, agencies are pulling together to solve the problems of litter, with a cut-through walkway running along the old canal route fenced off from the shops and an increase in community litter picks.
Alan Mosley, Shropshire councillor for the area and chairman of the community partnership, said lots of work had already taken place but insisted there was still plenty more to be done.
He said: “My concern is that this area has sometimes been overlooked in the past. It needs improvement and it needs work that residents can be proud of to raise the whole feeling in the area.
“Good work has been done by the police, Severnside and local councils but I think this area needs to be given a higher priority. I plan to keep up the pressure to make sure we are all working together to improve the area and conditions for residents.”
Responsibility
Tim Sneddon, head of environmental maintenance at Shropshire Council, said: “There has been a history of people thinking it hasn’t been their responsibility to sort things out, and it’s not been the most helpful way forward.
“In Ditherington there are pockets of land which have been affected – the area behind William Hill bookmakers has lots of litter and graffiti and it’s a bit of an eyesore.
“On the approach to the shops there are areas where people riding bicycles have cut across the grass, and we are hoping to team up with the probation service so groups of people with community service sentences can work on the area.
“I think people need the opportunity to look after their area themselves. I think as long as we keep working and don’t let areas get too bad people will want to help out on a regular basis.”
Marie MacMichael, Neighbourhood Manager at Severnside Housing, said: “Severnside has worked in close partnerships with agencies including the police and the council to make a positive difference in Ditherington.
“We hold regular estate walkabouts to identify issues, and action plans are drawn up as a result. Recently Severnside has held a purge on graffiti, including repainting the walkway at the rear of Wingfield Close and the garages at Far Gardens Place to remove offensive graffiti.
“Other work has included replacing old wooden fences with modern metal roll-top fencing, and the introduction of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts for a small number of individuals.
“Severnside continues to work in partnership with the council, the police and the local forum, and would encourage anyone interested in getting involved in their local area to get in touch.”
The next meeting of the community partnership will be held on Tuesday, March 30, at Martin Wilson Primary School in Castlefields at 5.30pm to discuss these issues. All are welcome.
By Peter Kitchen
