Visiting a popular nature reserve in Worksop has been made safer and more welcoming thanks to significant environmental improvements funded by Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Safer Streets initiative.
Work took place as part of a recent multi-agency day of action that included Bassetlaw District Council’s Parks and Open Spaces, Community Safety and Housing Teams, as well as a range of partners including Nottinghamshire Police, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and Nottinghamshire County Council.
A key feature of the day saw Bassetlaw’s Parks and Open Spaces Team clear around eight-tonnes of fly-tipped waste, make pathways easier to navigate and access, clear large areas of undergrowth and cut back several trees to enable clearer sightlines for CCTV cameras.
This followed the removal of three large containers earlier in the year, which will all contribute to reducing anti-social behaviour and crime in the area and give local residents greater confidence to visit the area.
Cllr Darrell Pulk, Cabinet Member for Environment and Energy at Bassetlaw District Council said: “This area has benefitted from a significant amount of Safer Streets funding which up to now has focussed on the prevention of anti-social behaviour and crime on the Sandy Lane estate, but it’s great to see this extended to Sandhill Lake.
“This nature spot is very popular with local people and the work that has taken place will help to make it a safer and more enjoyable place to visit, help to deter ASB and crime that spills over from the surrounding areas, and make the area more secure for community partners R.E.A.L Education who are based here.
“It was great to show the Police and Crime Commissioner the environmental improvements, as well as the initiatives on Sandy Lane, and how they are collectively addressing ASB and crime. We want people to feel safer in their community, and that is all part of what we’ve put in place.”
The day of action also involved the different organisations engaging with residents through information stalls on the Sandy Lane estate, giving members of the public the opportunity to learn more about local policing and community safety initiatives.
REAL Education, who are based at Sandhill Lake, said: "This project has had a huge impact on our learners and staff. A huge thank you to all of the teams involved, your hard work really has helped us to make our environment safer and more welcoming.
“We look forward to the next stages and the learners being involved in this."
Bassetlaw District Council has received £166,000 in the last round of Safer Streets funding for a variety of crime-tackling interventions.
The latest project targeted crime, antisocial behaviour and improved public safety in the Sandy Lane area of Worksop with initiatives including the installation of ten new 4G CCTV cameras, along with new gates and fencing near residential blocks, as well as additional environmental improvements.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden, who attended the day of action, said: “The work done in Bassetlaw supports our neighbourhood policing model, which is here to develop the confidence our communities have in the police.
“This is based on partnership working, and efforts are being made to improve areas throughout Nottinghamshire to show we are here to listen to issues people are facing, and also that we will do something about it.
“We’ve invested a lot of money into security enhancements in Bassetlaw, as well as environmental improvements to make sure that people can feel safe.”
Another feature of the day saw Immediate Justice service users working around Sandhill Lake in Worksop, which included litter picking, cleaning graffiti and tidying up surrounding areas where members of the public regularly visit.
The Immediate Justice project was also in action elsewhere in Nottinghamshire on the same day, with work also taking place at Jubilee Park in Gedling. www.nottinghamshire.pcc.police.uk/news/offenders-join-care-home-residents-to-brighten-up-local-park
The initiative, which is being spearheaded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, launched in January 2024 and aims to ensure adults and young people who commit antisocial behaviour or low-level offences are made to clean up local streets or take part in other positive community activities – as soon as possible after their offence.
The scheme ensures that individuals who commit low-level offences or engage in antisocial behaviour can swiftly take responsibility for their actions by contributing to the upkeep of local communities.
In its first year in operation, the scheme has seen over 450 referrals, 36 of which have been people under the age of 18, from more than 80 force-wide teams and 54 different offence types including antisocial behaviour.
To report antisocial behaviour in your neighbourhood, call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or visit the web page linked below to report.
Report antisocial behaviour | Nottinghamshire Police
In an emergency, you should always call 999.
Pictured l-r: Gary Godden, Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Downes, Park and Open Spaces Manager and Cllr Darrell Pulk, Cabinet Member for Energy and Environment
Last Updated on Tuesday, March 11, 2025