Safer Neighbourhoods

St Pancras Way Estate

Prior to the role out of the Cantelowes Safer Neighbourhoods team, St Pancras Way Estate was not a very nice place to live. Residents both young and old have been living in fear due to a high number of prostitutes, pimps and dealers operating in and around the stairwells of our estate. We as residents felt very intimidated and helpless. We felt that we could not really do that much to better our estate or the quality lf our lives.

On the estate we also had a lot of young people from other boroughs hanging around our park making noise until all hours of the morning disrespecting older residents and threatening young people on the estate.

Safer Neighbourhoods came in and completed a crime design report in partnership with the council housing dept and community safety team, on our estate which included more lighting, security upgrades, refurbishment of the tenants hall and to stop all the anti-social behaviour happening on the estate and generally make it a nicer place to live.

This report happened nearly a year ago and since that date we have seen a dramatic change on the estate not just in the lighting and security but there has been several drug raids and a crack house closure. The gangs of youths coming in from other areas and hanging on the estate has stopped due to the threat of ASBO’s.

However although the change in our estate is amazing I’m not entirely convinced this is down to Safer Neighbourhoods. We residents perhaps think that the change could have something to do with the winter and cold weather so we wait in anticipation to see if these changes remain come the summer months.