Offenders clean-up Spodden Street

Offenders clean-up Spodden Street as part of their Community Payback punishment

Spodden Street in Rochdale is receiving the Community Payback clean-up treatment.

Local offenders have been made to pick up the litter, remove fly-tipping, cut back the greenery and do some heavy gardening work as a punishment for committing crimes in our local community.

Wearing their orange, high-visibility jackets clearly marked ‘Community Payback’, offenders have spent 400 hours cutting back the thick overgrowth, pruning, weeding and clearing rubbish to restore Spodden Street and the surrounding area to its former glory. The project organised by Rochdale Borough Council aims to benefit the community whilst providing them with a visible sign that justice is being done. 10 large skips full or rubbish and debris have been removed.

Lindsay Dunn, Local Criminal and Justice Coordinator at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Spodden Street is looking much more clean and tidy, go see for yourself and I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a valuable scheme. The offenders carry out this demanding work, which otherwise might not be done, and achieve some really impressive results.”

Nationally over 6 million hours of Community Payback is carried out by offenders each year for free. If paid at the national minimum wage, this work would be valued at £34.5m and otherwise might not be done. All the offenders are assessed as suitable by the Greater Manchester Probation Trust before they’re assigned to a project and are closely supervised throughout. The offenders are transported to and from the site.

Paul Anderson, Community Payback Manager at Greater Manchester Probation Trust, said: “This work means that residents can now enjoy a cleaner, greener and more attractive environment. It also gives offenders the chance to make retribution to Rochdale residents for the crimes they have committed."

Dale Mulgrew, cabinet member responsible for Community Safety at Rochdale Borough Council, added: “The community want to see offenders punished for the crimes they commit and the Community Payback scheme allows them to see justice being served locally whilst being a key part of the offender’s rehabilitation process. I want to see the council taking greater advantage of this unpaid work in the future.”