Jessica Toale, the MP for Bournemouth West, has said that she is hoping to set up a women’s commission in the next year to improve safety for women in Bournemouth.
Last Friday Toale published her Town Centre Action Plan which was made in consultation with residents and the local council.
Speaking about the purpose behind the action plan, Toale said it was a way to meaningfully engage residents on the future of the town.
“There have been lots of strategies written, high-level panels and summits,” she said, “but the consistent thing I heard from local residents was that their ideas, concerns, hopes for the future didn’t have anywhere to go, and they didn’t feel like they were being listened to.”
The plan sets out eight areas for improvement, including civic pride, accessibility on transport and increasing green spaces.
One of the flagship recommendations is a lighting audit to make sure streets are well lit and identifying problem areas like back alleys.
Police reforms
Through citizens panels, Toale has been hearing from residents directly about how safe they feel in Bournemouth and what they think needs to change.
She highlighted the disconnect between crime rates coming down and people still feeling unsafe as a particular focus.
“We do see crime coming down, particularly serious violence, and that’s really positive, but I am really concerned that people don’t feel it,” Toale explained: “I think it comes down to things that people notice on a day-to-day basis, like the cleanliness of the streets or empty shops that make people feel uneasy.
“But I want to do a big piece of work on this because I obviously can say on one hand it’s safe, but if people don’t feel that, then it’s kind of meaningless.
“So, I want to really get to the bottom of that and make improvements in the policing that will make people feel safer in the area.”
Last week the government announced a set of policing reforms, including cutting the number of police forces and establishing a new National Police Service to lead on tackling major crime.
There is also going to be a renewed focus on local policing through Regional Crime Hubs which will deal with more everyday crime.
Toale is hopeful that these reforms will provide greater resources for Bournemouth, as Dorset Police remains one of the lowest funded areas in the country.
She said: “Policing has always been something that I’ve raised a lot of in Parliament and spoken to ministers about.
“Over the summer, we got a million extra pounds for hotspot policing as well as a commitment to get 40 new officers into Dorset, the vast majority will come to Bournemouth.”
SEND reform
The government are due to announce their reforms to special educational needs provision this year, as Toale says: “none of it is working.”
“Parents all the time tell me they have an education health plan, but it’s not really worth the paper it’s written on.
“Schools aren’t getting enough funding to provide the one-to-one support or specialist support that certain children need. Kids aren’t get the best outcomes from it.”
Earlier this week, Toale published a letter to the Education Secretary in which she set out her recommendations for SEND provision, after consultation with local residents.
It included things like earlier support, more local provision, improved primary to secondary transitions as well as better post 16 support.
She says she’s hopeful the government will take on board the suggestions.
“I do think where we’re really aligned is that the government set out some foundational principles, and those really resonated with parents and their experience.
“And it’s not simply about funding it’s about ensuring all processes and structures work properly.”
Flooding
Dorset has seen heavy rain and widespread floods this week, which have had huge knock on impacts for residents.
Toale said: “It’s been really shocking to see the flooding over the last week, because it’s certainly been worse than in previous years.”
She says she is working with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council to advocate for the funding they need to prepare for floods, as well as with the government on their national strategy.
“We do need to think more broadly about preparedness across the whole area for a range of climate-related issues,” Toale explained. “How can we put in place the infrastructure that we need to prevent and mitigate issues like this in the future?”
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