THE success of alleygating in cutting crime in residential areas of Liverpool has led to it being introduced to shops and commercial premises.

Solid black metal gates have been installed in the back alleys behind terraced homes throughout Liverpool since 1998 and have slashed domestic burglaries by as much as 55% in some areas. Businesses have been calling on the council to expand the project to non-residential premises and that is now to go ahead.

Passageways will be shut off at the rear of shops and offices which have been identified in order of priority, to cut opportunist and planned theft as well as problems with anti-social behaviour.

Each gate will cost around £2,000 and a further £2,000 will be needed to apply for a stopping up order to effectively close the walkway or road as a public highway, a move which could prove controversial.

Once the strict criteria have been met for the closure of the path or roadway, it will become the landowner's responsibility to keep it clean, tidy and well-maintained, rather than the council's.

A total of £200,000 has been set aside from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) to kick off a pilot scheme with the same amount requested for next year.

Money may also be needed to cover the cost of diverting utilities from the now privately-owned alleys as well as providing access to flats above shops, which may require the introduction of intercoms.

A report going to Liverpool's executive board on Wednesday says: "Prioritisation has been achieved using statistical information supplied by Merseyside police.

"Anti-social behaviour has been identified and used as the main priority to be tackled, but we have also taken into account incidents of burglary and robbery."

The first gates will be erected next month and more will be added if the scheme is successful. It is likely that the first areas to receive gates will be in lower income areas because there are restrictions on where Neighbourhood Renewal Fund money can be spent.

If wider areas of the city wish to become involved in the scheme for commercial premises, other sources of funding will have to be found.

Suggested areas where the first phase will be launched include Belmont Road in Sandfield Park, where there have been 270 incidents of disorder, 43 burglaries and 19 robberies in the last year.

Caldwell Road in Garston and Allerton Road in Allerton are also high-priority areas.

The report said that alleygates in residential areas "contributed to a 55% reduction in domestic burglaries in target areas and to reductions in levels of repeat victimisation. These successes have been sustained."

clareusher@dailypost.co.uk