RESIDENTS are set to wage war on crime through community spirit to give their troubled estate a new lease of life.
Race relations, drug abuse, under-age drinking and vandalism were just some of the issues raised when more than 100 people from Chesham's Pond Park estate packed into Hiving's Park Free Church, Upper Belmont Road, on Wednesday.
The special meeting was held to identify core concerns and thrash out a battle plan to improve quality of life in one of the Chiltern district's most deprived areas.
Chiltern district councillor Derek Lacey (Residents' Association, Pond Park Chesham), who chaired the meeting, said afterwards: "This is fantastic the start of the turn around for Pond Park. We've got everybody together and know what the residents want. This has got to work."
Pond Park, which has a high proportion of social housing and single parent families, is the third area across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire to enlist the help of the Thames Valley Partnership, a charity which works with deprived communities.
At the meeting one angry resident said he often looked on helplessly as children crowded around the houses of known drug dealers. Others complained at the lack of police presence, adequate street lighting and a community centre on the estate.
Resident Derek Mander said he was worried about race relations in the area.
He added: "We don't want a Leicester or Leeds happening here. We need to integrate these people."
A member of Chesham's Muslim community, who did not want to be named, answered: "I know there's a lot of people in the Pakistani community who want to keep their distance but they are also kept at their distance. There is a visibly large community but we do feel very much second-class citizens."
A middle-aged man claimed "boy racers" and irresponsible drivers were putting lives in danger along Milton Road.
He said: "It is only a matter of time until somebody gets killed here."
Organisers hope a meeting will be held each month to focus residents' efforts on tackling the issues raised.
The Thames Valley Partnership's involvement comes after the Chiltern Community Safety Partnership, a body made up of key agencies including the police and social services, suggested it as an area in need of help.
Russ Wootton, community safety director at the Thames Valley Partnership, said he would be using ideas from the meeting as the basis for an action plan to be discussed with residents next month.
He added: "We were very encouraged by the meeting. One of the most powerful things in the community is when people realise what is going wrong and start doing something about it."
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