Plans to make West Lothian streets safer for women and girls announced

QR codes on benches could be used to help create safer streets for women and girls in West Lothian.

The scanning codes would allow people to privately record areas they feel are threatening as part of a range of work being considered as the draft policy is implemented.

Better street lighting and well maintained pathways will be the most obvious physical change to West Lothian as a direct result of the council’s new safety for women and girls policy.

That’s the promise in the draft proposals agreed by the Community Safety Board this week: to create an environment that is less threatening to women and girls especially at night.

As part of this, the council is considering working with StreetSafe, a new tool being developed by the Home Office where women and girls can privately record spaces where they don’t feel safe via their mobile phone. This will enable the police and local authorities to pinpoint areas which need improvement.

A wide ranging survey published in December showed over 75% of all responses felt that they were “A bit unsafe/ very unsafe” when walking alone in the dark in their own neighbourhood.

In response to the question: “Are there any particular areas in West Lothian where you feel less safe?” the top three answers were underpass/paths/ walkways/cycle path, with 716, representing a third of all responses; town or village streets with 595, and poorly lit areas with 225.

Women do not feel safe in Livingston, particularly after dark and in underpasses like this.

The council has allocated £200,000 to implement first step confidence building initiatives arising from the recommendations which came out of the survey late last year.

Council officers from Operational services will now carry out a visual audit around the county highlighting areas where more public space lighting is needed and where shrubbery and overhanging trees makes footpaths narrow and create a more threatening environment.

The new policy will embraces successful schemes already up and running which offer safe space to vulnerable people.

Other initiatives could include safe transport for staff from late night hospitality venues through local taxi firms.

The policy will also have input from the police, who will work to inform pupils about cyber stalking, cyber pornography and gender based bullying online.

Councillor Kirsteen Sullivan, depute Labour group leader and chair of the Community Safety Board, said:“ I am delighted to see the draft action plan move forward at pace, especially after so many women, girls and local organisations took the time to complete the survey. It incorporates a comprehensive set of actions spanning areas such as education around consent and cyber-crimes to the physical environment, safety initiatives such as ASK for ANGELA and ASK FOR ANI, and measures that could be implemented for lone female workers.

“Along with the development of a new Street Safe tool and further use of mobile CCTV, these actions will help provide reassurance and increase confidence to women and girls as they go about their daily lives.

“We shouldn’t have to feel restricted as to when we can go out on our own or that we have to walk home with our keys between our fingers. My thanks to all community safety partners who have contributed to the development of this plan and who are committed to implementing these critical actions.”

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