WILMSLOW traders pleading for more help to keep the streets and their shops safe have been told there is no money for more community manpower.
After a string of violent robberies in Wilmslow, Handforth and Alderley Edge traders left vulnerable called on Macclesfield Borough Council to do more to help.
With the introduction of the council's Neighbourhood Warden Scheme to act as a high visibility deterrent, Jeweller Peter Harrington, whose shop fell victim to a vicious robbery last month said it was time more wardens were seen on town centre streets.
He said wardens would be a welcome sight to help reassure jittery shop keepers and act as a deterrent to criminals.
But this week, Coun Elizabeth Gililand, responsible for Crime and Disorder, said the council could only afford four community wardens - one of which is allocated to Wilmslow.
And without monitoring and evaluating the scheme the council would not invest in any more.
Coun Gililand said: "As far as I'm concerned their job is to be out on the street with people, taking away the fear of crime.
"I would push for more. I've been asking for more for a long time but we're tied by the budget. In this year's budget there's no provision for any more but we could look into it for next year's budget."
Community wardens were a government-led initiative but because of a low crime rate the borough missed out on start-up funding.
Financially left on the back foot, Coun Gililand admitted the council had been late to take up the scheme, but with no extra money coming in would have to look elsewhere for support, such as the safe borough partnership, where extra funding could be secured via the government or the police.
She said: "The problem is that because Macclesfield borough doesn't have a high number of burglaries, I know there have been some, but if you compare that with Stockport or Manchester they got government funding for neighbourhood wardens and we didn't."
Although wardens only have powers to issue penalties for minor nuisance offences such as dog fouling and dropping litter, their close connection to the police and CCTV units is seen as a valuable tool in the fight against community crime.
To strengthen their role the wardens are due to move from their current base at Macclesfield Town Hall into local police stations. Still employed by the council they will be "tasked" by the police.
Inspector Frank Marshall, head of Wilmslow's community policing, said: "Any sort of visible presence is going to be useful. We're planning to have our neighbourhood warden based at Wilmslow Police Station from the end of this month.
"At the end of the day they are more eyes and ears and give us a good handle on what's already happening. We could always have more resources."
