Rochford District Council has been working with young people in the area to try and improve facilities for them. After spending time talking with young people in the area, the resounding response was that teens wanted places to ‘hang out’ with friends.

Consultation revealed that if there is nowhere specific for young people to go they will congregate at a central point or somewhere familiar to them all, this could be a bus shelter, bench in town or just the corner of a road and unfortunately this can be intimidating to other people.

In response to their request Rochford District Council in partnership with Rochford and Canewdon Parish Councils and Rayleigh Town Council, funded a project to install shelters in Canewdon, Rayleigh and Rochford. A temporary shelter has also been installed in Ashingdon which will be monitored to see how popular it is.

This was part of a larger project to provide facilities for young people of the District, offering provision and passive surveillance for safety. The shelters have been proven to reduce crime rate and the fear of crime for both local residents and young people.
Benefits of a shelter for young people include:

• A place to go and meet which is non- confrontational
• Develops involvement and pride in their neighbourhood
• Removes a possible first step towards crime
• All round visibility allows users to feel safe

Benefits for the wider community can include:

• Reduced damage, graffiti and fear of crime
• Enhanced community harmony
• Children’s play areas remain undamaged and useable
• Reduced maintenance costs