ALLEYGATES are set to be installed on a set of side-streets in Burnley to combat crime and anti-social behaviour.

Plans have been submitted to the council for four gates to be locked at the back of Lebanon Street, Haven Street, Lyndhurst Road and Brunshaw Road.

In the report to planners, it is claimed it will help to ‘reduce crime and fear of crime’.

“The crime figures and anti-social behaviour figures have been monitored for two years,” it says.

“The area was shown to be in an area with consistently high crime.”

The order will last for three years and the crime figures will be monitored in the next 12 months to see if they have made an impact.

Local residents will have keys to gain access to the road.

Local councillor for the Brunshaw ward, Tony Harrison, believes that Burnley has been one of the pioneering authorities for alleygates.

He said: “Alleygates are very useful in the prevention of crime and reducing the fear of it.

“We were pioneers in schemes in Burnley and has been successful in other area so hopefully it will pass on here.

“Obviously there is an issue that people will have to open and close them but it does work well.

“People still don’t keep their back doors shut and locked and that is why it will be good.”

Fellow ward councillor Lian Pate said: “They are really popular with the residents.

“There are lots of applications every year for them.

“This year Burnley Council is looking to increase the budget for them as they are successful.

“What makes the alleygates so successful is that they make people feel safer and reducing the number of people getting down the backstreets and trying to break in.

“There are people who are out at work on these streets at least this should go some way to stopping them coming back to find that someone has broken into their house or have been targeted for crime.”

The gates are designed so there is no bar access which will prevent unauthorised access into the gated area.

The utility companies will have access to the gated area.