A new antisocial behaviour and noise service is being rolled out by a new partnership service between Leeds universities and Leeds City Council.
The council has reported that a unique service tackling anti-social behaviour and noise has been launched in Headingley, Hyde Park, Little Woodhouse and Burley this week.
The partnership between the council and its two biggest universities, University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University are behind the new service.
The dedicated service is a national first, and involves Leeds Beckett University and University of Leeds funding overnight patrols, seven days a week, by council response officers. The officers will work exclusively on noise and anti-social behaviour issues in inner north-west Leeds including areas that are known for having a heavy student population like Hyde Park, Headingley, Little Woodhouse and Burley.
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At present, the LS6 postcode has the highest number of noise nuisance complaints in Leeds: collecting 1,892 complaints in the first half of 2021 alone.
These figures were also collected during various states of lockdown, when many students opted to stay at home and could not return to their accommodation after the Christmas holiday period until restrictions eased.
Reports of car windows being smashed, 72 hour parties and a constant stream of celebrations that eat into the early hours are just some of the issues that local residents have spoken out about.
The new officers will carry out patrols to identify and stop potential issues from escalating while also providing capacity to respond to more calls, more quickly.
The partnership is said to provide additional call-handling capacity at weekends and during peak times throughout the year, including seasons like Freshers’ week and end of assessments party periods.
The partnership is set to monitor and regularly share updates on the performance and impact of the service, and hold termly meetings with residents’ association leaders as part of its plan to tackle noise and anti-social behaviour.
Read More: What is being done about the noisiest student postcode in Leeds?
Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said:
“While universities make an incredibly positive contribution to Leeds’ culture and economy, we also recognise that some issues can arise in all communities with a student population.
“While these issues are not unique to Leeds, our response is. The dedicated service is a national first, building on years of partnership and listening to communities.”
Despite of the new dedicated patrol service, there are no changes to how anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance are reported.
Between 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, or if you do not require an immediate response, call 0113 222 4402 or 0113 376 0337 outside of these hours (5pm – 4am).
Feature Image- WikiCommons
