Community spirit transforms North Bersted

Gez Watson, the chairman of the Trees Estate Residents’ Association, said the area’s atmosphere had been transformed in the past decade.

“Over the past year, the estate has seen such marked progress in the lack of crime activities there,” she told Bersted’s annual electors’ meeting on Tuesday.

“This time last year we were still beset by anti-social behaviour in particular and a little bit of car crime here and there. The other week I had to ask our police community support officers if we had fallen off the map because I’d had no figures for crime for the estate.

“They said there had simply not been anything going on. That’s a big step forward from 12 years ago, eight years ago, even a year ago.”

She attributed the change to residents’ confidence in the PCSOs, the willingness of those who lived on the estate to speak up for themselves and the fact they talked to each other which had not happened for years.

The association was planning a Diamond Jubilee community picnic and sports day this summer, she added.