The future of Colchester's street warden scheme is under threat.
The Government stumped up half of the £125,000-a-year cost of the street wardens, who tackle a number of street issues from abandoned cars to graffiti.
But that funding will stop in March next year, meaning Colchester Council will have to make difficult decisions over the future of the street warden scheme.
There are currently four street wardens who patrol the Castle, Harbour and New Town wards. They were recently given the accolade of "regional champions" by the Government's neighbourhood renewal unit.
Despite that, the group's future still hangs in the balance because of the funding problem.
Robert Needham, operational services manager, is battling hard to raise the matter with those controlling the council's purse strings.
He is currently compiling a report for cabinet members in the hope they will choose to keep the service.
Mr Needham said a number of possibilties for future funding existed.
Since they started just over a year ago the street wardens have saved the DVLA more than £50,000 in unlicensed vehicles and the possibility of the street wardens getting a bounty for future work did exist.
The other options, aside from the council paying the full cost, involved getting private firms in the town to sponsor the wardens in return for their name being on warden literature, whether it be correspondence or litter tickets.
Published Thursday, May 29, 2003
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