SECURITY in Southampton city centre is being ramped up.
Efforts are underway to improve security in the Bargate ward this week.
As part of the Safer Streets project, CCTV cameras will be put up in Hoglands and Houndwell Park.
Hoglands Park and the Kingsland subway will be made safer with new lights. Meanwhile, the pavilion will be getting a revamp.
The work is being delivered by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) with partners across the city. It is being funded by a £550,000 grant from the Government.
Other plans include knocking down an unused storage building in Hoglands Park to improve lines of sight, minimise secluded hiding spots.
Recent improvements to parks include a new picnic area and a wildflower meadow, created to encourage wildlife.
Plans are also underway to create a brand-new concrete skate park to replace the existing site.
Ultimately, the main ambition of the project “is to bring people back into this area by making it a welcome place to be, giving it back to residents, and thereby making it a challenging environment for criminal activity”.
The parks have been at the centre of a number of police incidents in recent years.
Last November, a 17-year-old was reportedly attacked and raped in broad daylight in Houndwell Park.
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In August 2019, a 17-year-old girl was attacked and allegedly raped in the early hours of the morning in Houndwell Park.
While in March 2018, a 26-year-old woman was raped after she was attacked on her way through Hoglands Park at around 7pm on a Monday evening.
The safety project is due to be completed at the end of March.
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