Epsom and Ewell police have been granted thousands of pounds to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour on the Longmead estate.

The force has been granted £6,000 for use on the estate, which is one of Epsom's most deprived areas, as part of a Community Safety Funding (CFS) scheme.

The money was granted by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Kevin Hurley, and was given to the force earlier this month.

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Inspector Jackie Elkins, who applied for the funding, told the Epsom Guardian that the money would be put to good use.

She said: "It's a nice estate and it can be a nice estate, but there is just a small number of people that give it a bad name.

"We want to work with the residents to make it a better place.

"It's not just about the council but the community themselves taking responsibility to make it a nicer place to live.

"Personally I would like to see the funding going towards addressing environmental issues, youth activities and engaging with the community, but would be interested to hear what residents themselves would like to see the funding going towards.

"My hopes for the future of the Longmead estate are to make it a safe and pleasant place to live, visit and work whilst taking a zero tolerance approach to policing with the support of the community."

According to the PCC website, applicants for the grant must prioritise a zero-tolerance policing approach, more visible street policing, ensuring a quality service for victims of crime and giving neighbourhoods an opportunity to have a greater say in how their streets are policed.

A Longmead Joint Action Group meeting, between the police, Housing Association and local councillors, is due to be held on Friday, September 4, to decide on the best way the money can be used to help prevent anti-social behaviour.

Insp Elkins said the objectives of the group are to tackle crime and disorder, address environmental issues such as graffiti and fly tipping, engaging with the youth and community engagement to build trust between the residents, police and partners.

Labour Councillor for Court, Councillor Katherine Chinn thinks increasing community safety should be the top priority for the funding.

Coun Chinn said: "We are very grateful to the police and PCC for providing the money. We are working hard to get the issues on the Longmead estate taken seriously by all involved.

"We want to help tackle anti-social behaviour so residents can live their lives in peace, and put measures in place to do that.

"It’s a very pleasant place to live and most people live there peacefully. There are just a few incidents of anti-social behaviour that need to be managed."

In March this year, plans for a £6m redevelopment of the Longmead estate were revealed to the public. The plans included nine new homes, 23 affordable and shared ownership flats, 63 parking bays and a community green space.

Coun Chinn is hopeful that more money will be put into the area following the CFS grant.

She added: "Repairs are needed in the area and fly-tipping needs to be managed, so we are hoping that more funding is identified for Longmead.

"We need to make people respect their area better, and we need to be proactive to make it better."

Do you live in Longmead? How would you like to see the grant spent? Contact us at newsdesk@epsomguardian.co.uk.