Award-Winning Project Helping to Make Fairfield Fit for the Future

A successful local partnership project is helping to transform Fairfield into a safer, more resilient, and more welcoming place to live and work – and it’s already receiving national recognition.

Councillor Godfrey Claff (third from the left) joined AES colleagues to help clean the alleyways and streets.

Project Unity was launched under the Government’s Clear, Hold, Build initiative, which focuses on stabilising communities by tackling criminal activity and laying the foundations for long-term prosperity.

The partnership – involving High Peak Borough Council, Derbyshire Police, and the local community – has delivered a series of initiatives to drive out crime and anti-social behaviour, while also improving housing, amenities, and the overall appearance of the area.

Among its community successes are:

• The Zink ‘Speak Easy Café’, offering weekly confidential advice on housing, employment, money management, and mental health.

• A youth outreach programme engaging young people in familiar settings, supporting them to make positive, informed life choices.

• Environmental clean-ups and improvements, with new benches and planting at Lennon Park, Queens Road junction, and around the war memorial, creating attractive spaces for residents to enjoy.

Council officer Emma Beswick (second right) accepts the award with colleagues from Derbyshire and West Yorkshire Police.

Councillor Godfrey Claff, Executive Councillor for Community Safety, said:

“The work we and our partners are doing in Fairfield is providing real support to the residents by removing the scourge of crime and then building on that with appropriate support to help change not only the way the area looks and the way people that live there feel but also, and importantly, the wider perceptions people may hold about the area.

“Together, we are making a difference and it’s great to see that being valued by residents and businesses at a local level but also receiving recognition at a national level. I’d like to add my thanks and congratulations to all involved and look forward to the continuation of this successful initiative.”

That recognition came earlier this summer, when Project Unity was named runner-up in the ‘Innovative Approach’ category at the Policing and Partnerships Conference in Huddersfield.

With residents, businesses, and local authorities all working together, Fairfield is building a lasting legacy of safety, pride, and opportunity for the community.