Failure to address crime in South East Plan

8.20.10pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 5th Sep 2007

Liz Leffman fears crime locally is down the Government's list of priorities

Liz Leffman, Prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Meon Valley, has warned of her fear that crime is already way down the list of the Government's priorities in the South East Plan.

Last week's Inspector's Report into the plan for 6,415 to be built each year in Hampshire over the next 20 years - an increase of 315 on the original total - failed to address the fact that larger communities will need more policing.

Liz said: "Although Hampshire Police Authority highlighted the need for more police in areas selected for house-building during the Examination in Public for the South East Plan, there has been no mention of the issue in this report.

"With the Government's past record of cutting police numbers across the country in the past few years, it deeply concerns me that it has already stalled on committing resources to more populated areas.

"I have witnessed first hand the great effects of nine Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in Meon Valley in supporting other officers, though there would have been 11 if the Government had not launched cutbacks in the police budget across the county.

"If we cannot get enough police support for estates and villages around the county now, it is quite hard to fathom how we can expect better protection when communities grow."

Nationally, the Liberal Democrats have pledged to fund 10,000 police officers on top of Labour's total and provide an extra 20,000 PCSOs.