Gates lock out drunks as town gets tough

Published on Friday 10 April 2009 09:58

DRUNKS are set to be locked out of parts of a Lothian town centre with automatic gates operating on a time lock in a bid to crack down on antisocial behaviour.

Four of the gates costing 25,000 are due to be installed in entrances around the High Street in Haddington, which has been plagued by antisocial behaviour and vandalism.

The gates will close and lock automatically between 10pm and 5am, with only residents and emergency services given swipe cards to gain entry during those times.

The network of closes in the Langriggs area have been used as drinking dens by youths and shortcuts for revellers returning home from pubs.

Many of the residents in the area are elderly, including pensioners staying in a sheltered housing complex, and they asked East Lothian Council for better security to be provided.

Edinburgh-based Urban Design Futures were commissioned to deal with the problems and came up with the time lock gates to keep out night-time troublemakers.

The gates have been specially designed to fit in with this section of the town's conservation area, which was once used as an archery range. The designs have incorporated bow and arrow insignias into the metal gates, which are around 7ft high.

Mary Denholm, 71, who lives in The Butts sheltered housing complex, said: "I'm all for the gates. If they keep people out who are noisy or drunk that can only be a good thing.

"I've a friend in England who had similar gates installed where they live and they couldn't believe the difference it made."

The electronic gates will be located at the Ross' Close, Vennel, Carlyle Close and Neilson Park entrances to Langriggs and The Butts.

The extra security forms part of a 300,000 project for the area, which also incorporates better lighting and earlier work to paths, parking and landscaping.

Selby Richardson, director of Urban Design Futures, based in West Bow, off the Grassmarket, said: "This process started three or four years ago when we were commissioned by the council to look at environmental improvements.

"We got a working group of residents together for that, and they said it would be great if the area had a better degree of protection from vandals, especially in the evening. That's when we came up with the idea of time lock gates.

"The closes are being used as a short cut between the High Street and the pubs there, and homes beyond Neilson Park. "

A planning application for the gates has been submitted by council chiefs and they are expected to be installed in the next three to six months.

An East Lothian Council spokeswoman said: "The original request came from local tenants and residents who were concerned about ongoing antisocial behaviour problems. We commissioned Urban Design Futures to put forward options which were discussed and agreed by them."