Funding secured to make Hatfield underpasses safer for women
More than £500,000 has been secured to improve Hatfield's underpasses. - Credit: Archant
More than £500,000 in government funding has been secured to make Hatfield's underpasses safer for women.
The £548,176 is part of the government’s latest round of Safer Streets funding, and the money will be used to refurbish five underpasses in the town to address criminal activity.
Hertfordshire PCC David Lloyd. - Credit: Archant
The improvements will include new lighting, cutting down overgrown vegetation, mirrors and the removal of graffiti at the following locations:
- Cavendish Way Underpass
- Comet Way Underpass
- West Town Centre Roundabout
- Central Town Centre Underpass
- East Town Centre Underpass
Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd, who sourced the funding, said: “The safety of women and girls is a real concern to many in Hertfordshire and it is one that I am determined to address.
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“I want to ensure that real changes are made so that residents can walk our streets and public spaces without fear.
“This scheme will directly improve the safety of thousands of residents in Hatfield, and we will use the lessons learned from it to see how they can be applied to other parts of the county.
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“The funding will also give greater confidence to all members of the public using these spaces and deter crime from occurring in the underpasses and surrounding areas.”
A number of improvement to underpasses, such as new lighting, are set to be made. - Credit: Picture: STEPHEN HARVEY
Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps welcomed the funding and said: “No one should have to feel scared walking about in public, but sadly this is a reality that many women and girls still face.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to secure this additional funding for Hatfield thanks to our PCC David Lloyd.
“This money will go towards transforming more of our underpasses from dark, foreboding places into light, clean spaces that give confidence to women and girls.
Graffiti is also set to be removed. - Credit: Archant
“This follows work completed to other underpasses near Hatfield station, which I was pleased to be able to open earlier this year, where new lighting was added alongside murals from local groups, transforming these potentially dangerous areas into inviting walking routes.
“Changes like these go hand-in-hand with the government’s wider plan to tackle violence against women and girls, which aims to address and reduce the prevalence of these abhorrent crimes.”
