Skelmersdale’s top ten crime hotspots

Jan 24 2013 by Tom Duffy, Skelmersdale Advertiser

THIS map shows the top ten crime hotspots in our town.

This year’s figures show that the town centre is now experiencing more crime than other parts of Skelmersdale.

The statistics show that there were more crimes in the vicinity of the Concourse and the Asda petrol station than anywhere else in the town during the last year.

In December West Lancashire council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for a £20m revamp of Skelmersdale town centre.

It could create 350 jobs and involves a five-screen cinema complex, restaurants and shops, a food store and petrol station and public spaces.

The project is expected to create new links between the development and existing parts of the town centre, such as The Concourse shopping centre and West Lancashire College.

There are also plans afoot for a new youth zone, in a county council initiative aiming to provide more facilities for young people.

However Councillor Neil Furey told the Advertiser that this development could actually exacerbate the existing problem of town centre crime rather than improve it.

He said: “If the night time economy is developed in our town it could lead to even more anti-social behaviour.”

Last year’s top ten areas comprised: Firbeck, Inglewhite, Blakehall, Cherrycroft, Banksbarn, Abbeywood, Back Lane, Enstone, Ennerdale and Elmridge.

West Lancashire community safety partnership is holding an information event for residents at the Concourse on Friday morning.

Lancashire Police, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, and West Lancashire Borough Council Anti-Social Behaviour team staff and street scene and dog control enforcement officers will attend.The information day will start about 10.30am and will be based on the ground floor.