ANTISOCIAL behaviour is still blighting a city centre car park despite council bosses saying persistent issues have been eradicated, residents have said.
Colchester Council says it has received “no new reports requiring enforcement” since measures were taken to tackle antisocial behaviour at St Mary’s car park in September last year.
A report prepared ahead of a crime and disorder panel meeting on Monday says: “To tackle the vehicle nuisance in St Mary’s car park, particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings, additional funding was secured to purchase and install automated barriers and CCTV cameras.
“These will ensure we can enforce where there are incidents of vehicle nuisance and secure the premises from entry after 10pm overnight on Friday and Saturday evenings.”
Despite the council claiming to have received no reports of behaviour requiring enforcement action, residents living near the car park in Balkerne Hill, Colchester, say there are still significant concerns.
Emma Dell, secretary of the St Mary’s Residents’ Association, admits it was “brilliant to start with”.
“They hit it hard,” she explained. “People got fines and it was a fabulous result, but it got a bit lazy.”
Although the car park’s entrance is now closed on Friday and Saturday evenings, its exit remains open, which has caused nuisance drivers to enter the car park the wrong way, Emma says.
She feels reinstating ticket machines on entry to the car park would combat the issue once and for all.
She added: “That car park serves the leisure industry for Colchester, especially for children and younger people going to Colchester Arts Centre and the Mercury.
“You want to feel safe, but you don’t feel safe if people are speeding past you.
“It’s not just about the noise, the antisocial behaviour leads to drug taking, drinking, groups congregating, and ultimately people feeling unsafe.”
City centre councillor Richard Kirkby-Taylor thinks it’ll take “at least a few months” for the impact of the measures to be realised.
“Quite often when things are changed it does result in a short term change in behaviour, but we need to see what the long term impact is,” he said.
What has Colchester Council said?
A spokesman said: “We understand the concerns raised by residents regarding antisocial behaviour at St Mary’s car park.
"We want to assure everyone that creating a safe and secure environment in our city centre car parks is a top priority for the council.
“Following the initial measures implemented in September, we received no complaints about antisocial behaviour for a period of five months, which was greatly welcomed by residents.
“While we have received a small number of complaints in the last couple of weeks, unfortunately, due to a lack of identifiable evidence, enforcement action hasn’t been possible in these instances.
“We are listening to residents' feedback and are actively exploring ways to further enhance security measures at St Mary's, including the upcoming installation of automated barriers. Additionally, we are bolstering camera coverage throughout the car park.
"Several cameras were added on specific floors last year, with an additional one installed just a few weeks ago.
"Full CCTV coverage is coming soon, which will enable us to see movement within all parts of the car park and take appropriate action against anyone misbehaving.
“It’s important to note that the current temporary barrier system, while not automated, still restricts access after 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights.
"We are also working closely with Essex Police through Op Dial, which has seen increased patrols in the area.
“We are confident that the combined efforts of the council, police, and residents will lead to a lasting solution.
“In the meantime, we encourage residents to continue reporting any incidents of antisocial behaviour to the council and Essex Police.
"This will provide valuable information to help us target our resources effectively.
“We are committed to keeping residents informed and will provide further updates as the automated barrier system is installed.”
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