Breckland Council will bring together Dereham’s public agencies on Wednesday when leaders will outline plans to clamp down on crime in the area.

It follows extensive complaints from locals that the town no longer feels safe, with many concerns stemming around the NR19 hotel, which has been used for temporary accommodation for years. 

The fears about the hotel, which has generated nearly 250 police callouts since 2020, culminated in a heated public meeting in December.

The Dereham hotel has been the centre of controversy in recent years (Image: Supplied)

Dereham Town Football Club was completely packed (Image: Henry Durand)

At the discussion, the 250 locals in attendance said they believed the town was rife with crime, told of having to walk in groups for safety purposes, and questioned the council about a perceived lack of action.

It prompted assurances from Breckland leaders, who pledged that work would be done “at pace” to deal with their concerns. 

A task force, promised at the meeting, is now set to meet for the first time on Wednesday.

It will bring together representatives from the police, housing and social care, as well as local volunteers, schools, businesses and residents, forming a “tactical board”, which will then put forward suggestions to the council.

Sam Chapman-Allen, leader of Breckland, said: “Just like any good governance model we need to make sure we're doing the right thing and we're empowering our staff to get on and do the work.

Sam Chapman-Allen, leader of Breckland Council. (Image: Breckland)

“It doesn't need me to say, we're going to do a Public Space Protection Order or we're going to invest in more CCTV or we're going to invest this money at this leisure centre. 

“That's for them to decide, but for us, it's at a strategic level to make sure we're giving them the power to get on and do it.”

He said the task force will have extensive funding at its disposal, which could be put towards new safety measures including CCTV or other community resources. 

The council has come under scrutiny since the public meeting for being slow to respond to concerns. However Mr Chapman-Allen said work was already under way.

The NR19 Hotel now has 24-hour security at the site, and a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is currently under consultation, and has received hundreds of responses.

© Eastern Daily Press