New warden scheme for neighbourhoods

From the archive, first published Thursday 8th Mar 2007.

A NEW team of community wardens has been appointed to give help and advice to residents, thanks to a £1.6million Government handout.

From April 1, five wardens will be targeting areas such as the Woodgrange Drive estate and central Southend.

The wardens will talk to residents, identify the problems they face and put them in touch with people who can help.

For example, if there is graffiti, they can alert the council's graffiti removal service.

Tony Payne, the newly appointed neighbourhood manager for Southend, said: "There will be uniformed patrols in the area, with the aim of improving quality of life.

"A lot of people feel they are not getting the level of service they feel they should be getting. The wardens can help them get a better service.

"There will be an opportunity for local people to get involved and take part in focus groups, to talk about what needs to be done to improve things in the communications.

"Hopefully it will not be too long before residents see things starting to get better."

Southend Council is carrying out the project with the help of £1.6million funding from the Government's Stronger, Safer Communities Fund.

The wardens will be funded for three years. The rest of the money will be spent on other community schemes.