District Council secures Full Closure Order on troublesome property on Yorke Drive estate

To combat serious anti-social behaviour on the Yorke Drive estate in Newark, the District Council in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police have ensured enforcement action is followed through when laws have been broken.

The property, 181 Yorke Drive in Newark is now under a Full Closure Order, which prohibits access to the premises to everyone.

The order was made, following complaints being reported to the Council and the Police. The catalogue of reported incidents includes continued acts of anti-social behaviour, alleged drug related activities and individuals entering the property who had been prohibited in the partial Closure Order.  Several individuals flagrantly breached the Order including Rocky Price, who is already subject to an injunction banning him for entering the estate, continuing to cause anti-social behaviour and on Thursday 17 October his behaviour resulted in a cordon on Yorke Drive being set up by the Police, further impacting neighbouring residents and causing a significant impact on the wider community of Yorke Drive. 

This order will last for 3 months.

The District Council could not tolerate this behaviour and legal action had to be taken to safeguard the community.

Officers from the District Council’s Public Protection and Housing teams, with support from the Police Neighbourhoods team, collaborated to obtain this Closure Order to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of the affected residents. 

A Closure Order is designed to provide immediate relief for the community from ASB being committed from a property, and it is an offence to enter or remain on premises in contravention of a Closure Notice or Closure Order without reasonable excuse, punishable by a fine or imprisonment or both.

Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “This is an example of where we act when rules have been broken. The partial Closure Orders were secured to safeguard the local community and now this order has been broken, we’re keen to put tougher measures in to keep the community safe.

"We do not tolerate anti-social behaviour like this, and the safety of nearby residents is our top priority. With the Full Closure in place, we can do more to restrict activity at the property and can take decisive action if necessary.

“We want to do what’s best for our residents in and around Yorke Drive, which is why we will not stand by and allow selfish individuals to flout the law and cause harm or distress to the local community there. This should send a message to offenders that we will not allow this unacceptable behaviour to go unpunished, and we will take action against you.

“We are committed to clamping down on ASB and criminal behaviour and we will continue our successful partnership working with the Police to ensure our reach is wide and our resources are strengthened.

“I also urge anyone who witnesses or experiences ASB to report it to Nottinghamshire Police or the District Council, so that we can take appropriate action."

Councillor Lee Brazier, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “We want to show residents on Yorke Drive that we won’t sit back and let this unacceptable behaviour continue and we will act when necessary.

“I urge residents to support us by acting as our eyes and ears, reporting any incidents so our teams can investigate. This Closure Order shows that we will not tolerate anti-social behaviour and drug related crime in our district.”

Inspector Charlotte Ellam, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, said: “Tackling antisocial behaviour in the Bridge Ward area was recently selected as our chosen policing priority for Newark, so we’re very pleased to see this full closure order secured.

“We have been aware of the problems associated with this address on the Yorke Drive estate for some time now, with a partial closure authorised in September to try and curb this behaviour.

“We know how much harm ASB causes to communities, and that’s why our neighbourhood policing team works so closely with our partners like the Council to try and do something about it.

“Closure orders provide another means for us to take action against those who create fear amongst law abiding residents, while they also serve as a great example of the police and local authorities working together effectively.”

Newark and Sherwood District Council is committed to tackling criminal and anti-social behaviour and other enforcement action has also taken place on the Yorke Drive estate which includes Closure Warnings and Community Protection Warnings.

Anyone who wishes to report ASB can speak to our ASB team, in confidence, about any issues or concerns you may have. To register an ASB complaint contact the District Council or use the online ASB reporting form.

If a crime is in progress or life is in danger, you should dial 999. To report non-urgent anti-social behaviour contact the police on 101.