Building a safer community

This Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week, Trivallis has revealed its plans to improve the Cae Fardre estate in Church Village and make it a safer place for everyone to live.

Phase one of the plans will use smart design to rearrange public spaces on the estate, with the aim of reducing anti-social behaviour (ASB). The includes making more open spaces, improving visibility, and limiting access to private areas and unsafe paths. These changes will help prevent problems and make the estate a nicer place to live.

Trivallis will also demolish garage blocks that often attract those causing problems in the area. By removing these hangouts Trivallis aims to open up the spaces, making the pathways behind them safer to use.

The housing association has been successful in dealing with ASB cases by focusing on the people involved and understanding their needs. Now, Trivallis hopes to prevent ASB from happening in the first place by changing the layout of the estate in a way that discourages bad behaviour. This will create a community where everyone can feel safe.

Duncan Forbes, the Chief Executive of Trivallis, said: “Our home is more than just the property we live in; it’s about the people and community around us. We want to create homes where our tenants feel safe and happy. That’s why we’re using all the tools we have available to stop anti-social behaviour. Our neighbourhood teams work in our communities every day, dealing with complex issues that contribute to ASB. But with these new development plans, we’re also looking at ways the layout of our estates can make our neighbourhoods more peaceful and welcoming.”

Mr. Forbes added: “We couldn’t have done this without the help of our tenants. They’ve shared their experiences, and that has guided our plans. For example, reports of misused garages have led us to demolish them at tenants’ requests. We hope this first phase of development, along with the hard work of our neighbourhood teams, will significantly reduce ASB rates in the area. We want our tenants to know that we’re doing everything we can to keep them safe.”

Gary Williams a tenant representative on Trivallis’ ASB working group adds: “It really does make a difference when we as tenants can influence the way Trivallis addresses things like ASB. Knowing that they are willing to listen to your lived experience and take actions based on that information is very reassuring and it actually leads to better results. We have given a lot of input into the ASB work at Trivallis and it is great to see it all coming together to help tenants feel safe in their homes.”

If you see or experience ASB, it’s important to take action. By reporting ASB, you can help authorities prevent future problems. If the situation could become violent or dangerous, call 999 right away. For non-emergencies, you can report a crime by calling 101 or emailing swp101@south-wales.police.uk.

If you’ve been affected by ASB and need support, call South Wales Victim Focus at 0300 303 0161. They’re available from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. This service is provided by Victim Support, a local organisation.

If you need help outside of these hours, you can call Supportline for free at 08 08 16 89 111. Supportline is open 24/7, so you can get support anytime you need it.