Alley gate security appeal

Independent representative for Bryn ward Coun Steve Jones is asking Wigan Council to install alley gates behind the terraced houses on Whitledge Green.

Coun Jones says the rest of the estate had the security gates installed a few years ago but claims the street got left out when the local authority ran out of money.

With residents increasingly anxious about anti-social behaviour and people being able to get into the alleyway behind their homes Coun Jones is now asking for the gates to be put in and the alleys locked.

He said: “Whitledge Green is the only street in the area that’s not got the alley gates. The council had funding but then ran out when they got there.

“There are a lot of problems with anti-social behaviour behind there and it’s a massive worry for residents. These terraced houses in the area all have the old cobbled backs with an alley running down. There were problems with burglaries and people jumping over the back walls so they put the big gates in and residents were given a key.

“Finishing this and installing the remaining gates is something the independent councillors in Bryn have wanted to do to support residents for a long time. Every time I go in the local shop I’m bombarded with people asking about the gates, especially by the elderly people living in the area.

“I’m hoping to get a result on this from Wigan Council as residents are now feeling left behind.”

A petition to get the gates installed on Whitledge Green has now been created and is available to sign in several supporting shops along the street and on Old Road.

However, Wigan Council said gates can only be installed when there is considerable evidence of anti-social behaviour and urged residents to report any incidents they are concerned about to the town hall or police.