Updated Tuesday 21st June 2005
Facelift For Hertford

Hertford is set for a cleanup this week as the town twinning celebrations approach..

The facelift is being co-ordinated by East Herts Council, whose officers, along with the police, fire service, the Town Centre Management Board, three housing agencies and the probation service, are working together to spruce up the town.

The council has recently been improving the bedding in flower beds throughout the town and will be putting in a new display in the Castle Grounds, where many of the town-twinning events will take place. As well as extra litter picks and weed spraying, graffiti will be removed from street furniture wherever possible and Evron Place will be cleaned up.

Council staff are also planning measures to protect the ice house in the Castle Grounds from BMX bikers, by planting shrubs and installing seating around it.

During the week itself Hertfordshire Police Authority will take its Communities Against Drugs vehicle into the town and Herts Fire and Rescue officers will be offering free home safety risk assessments. The East Herts staff who have joined the Community Safety Accredited Scheme, giving them some police powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, will be out and about explaining what they do.

Hertfordshire Probation Service will provide a supervised unpaid workgroup to clean hotspot areas and Riversmead, Sanctuary and Aldwyck housing associations, which have properties in Sele Farm, will work with the police on a crime prevention programme in the area. Riversmead will be working with police to advise residents in sheltered housing schemes about distraction burglaries.

East Herts Council’s Executive member with responsibility for town centres Malcolm Alexander said: “This is a valuable opportunity to improve the standard of management in Hertford, working in partnership with other agencies. It will make the town a more pleasant place for residents and also ensure that the French visitors see the best of our historic and attractive county town.”