Residents rewarded for blooming alleyways

The winners of the annual ‘Alleyways in Bloom’ competition have been announced.

The competition asked residents who have burglary reduction alleygates installed behind their properties to come together with neighbours to improve their alleyway and enhance their neighbourhood.

First prize was awarded to residents of Shaftesbury Avenue in Smithy Bridge.

The competition, which is in its twelfth year, awards the winners with a £50 Bowlee Garden Centre voucher, to allow them to purchase new items for their alleyways. 

Richard Simpson, of Shaftesbury Avenue, said residents were thrilled to have won the competition after making improvements to the alley over the past 12 months and they feel safe and secure.

The runner-up prize of a £25 Bowlee Garden Centre voucher went to residents of Edenfield Road in Norden.

 

 

 

Bernice Clark and Sue Thomas, who won the competition in 2017, have been maintaining their alleyway for ten years. Sprucing up their gated communal area allows neighbours to enjoy having a chat and a cup of tea together.

Councillor Janet Emsley, Rochdale Borough Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture, said: “The alleygating scheme’s main purpose is to reduce burglary and antisocial behaviour, but this competition shows that they can be much more than that.

“We would love to see more residents applying to the alleygating scheme and to come together with their neighbours to create a lovely shared space.”

The alleygating scheme is run by Rochdale Borough Council and aims to reduce the opportunity for burglary, antisocial behaviour, malicious fires and fly-tipping by installing lockable steel gates at both ends of back alleyways.

There are currently 679 schemes across the borough and there is funding available for new schemes to be installed.

For more information about the alleygating scheme and to apply visit

• www.rochdale.gov.uk/alleygating