NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH PATROL

The launch of Derby's first Neighbourhood Watch patrol in February 2003 was a step in the right direction in terms of tackling crime in Arboretum and neighbouring Normanton. The two-officer team, which works from a van carrying mobile CCTV equipment, is being funded for three years with £437,904 of Government funding. Designed to make the streets feel safer, the patrol has a range of duties, from reporting abandoned vehicles and clearing drug needles to providing information.

The same year also saw plans to refurbish Arboretum Park using £5.6m of Heritage Lottery funding move into the final stage, with some work already under way. But many residents feel more needs to be done to restore Arboretum's fortunes and address the root causes of crime, anti-social behaviour and drug abuse. There has also been widespread resentment in the ward following Central Derby Primary Care Trust's decision to close the Sai Medical Centre in Sale Street.

The surgery, which served hundreds of patients in Arboretum, was shut to local people after the GP left and a replacement could not be found. It later reopened exclusively for asylum-seekers, sparking anger that local people were not consulted and resentment of Derby's asylum-seeker population. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's authorisation for the setting up of a dedicated public-private company to spearhead Derby Cityscape, a plan to transform the city centre.

The £225m development blueprint and the planned £200m Eagle Centre expansion will see much of Normanton in the midst of brick dust over the next 20 years. However, Arboretum should get its fair share of investment as its Hartington Street area continues to benefit from £2.8m of Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. The city council's decision to award this funding was partly a result of campaigning by Hartington Street resident and independent candidate Josephine Rooney.