Three more local communities – Pevensey & Pevensey Bay, Westham and Willingdon – are about to launch their zones in an effort to protect residents, especially elderly and vulnerable people, from unwanted callers.
East Sussex County Council's Trading Standards Service has been working with the Safer Wealden Partnership, Neighbourhood Watch groups and parish councils at Pevensey & Pevensey Bay, Westham and Willingdon to set up the zones.
Willingdon will launch its zone at 2.00pm on Tuesday 25 March at Willingdon Library in Coppice Avenue and Pevensey & Pevensey Bay will follow at 2.00pm on Wednesday 26 March at St Wilfrid's Hall, Eastbourne Road, Pevensey Bay. Westham will launch its no cold calling zone at 11.00am on Friday 28 March at the Amenity Hall in Stone Cross School, Westham.
Councillor Bob Tidy, Lead Member for Community Services said: “Community safety is one of the County Council's top priorities and so I'm delighted that Pevensey & Pevensey Bay, Westham and Willingdon have decided to join all the other areas in East Sussex that have set up no cold calling zones. Rogue traders are a real menace and they tend to target older and vulnerable residents. By setting up these zones, local people are giving a clear message to unwanted callers – you are not welcome.”
Residents are being invited to attend the launches of the no cold calling zones. They will be able to speak to the zone organisers and find out more about how the scheme works.
The merits of having a zone were demonstrated recently at Polegate. Residents, who set up their zone with the help of Trading Standards and its partners on 10 March, reported being called on by sales representatives from an energy provider. Trading Standards caught up with the team of twelve sales people and advised them about the zone and asked for residents wishes to be respected by not calling within the Polegate area. The sales team leader was happy to co-operate with the request.
“We welcome this co-operation from this sales team, and also the alertness of members of the public in reporting incidents of cold-calling,” said Councillor Tidy. “Clearly there are savings to be made in shopping around to find a better deal for gas and electric, and we would encourage people to use price comparison websites rather than deal with doorstep callers, who may not offer the best deal available”.
People in Wannock have also given the thumbs-up to their no cold calling zone. In a recent survey, 64% of local residents who replied said they now felt safer following the implementation of the scheme.
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