Ulverston’s latest No Cold Calling Zone on Birkett Drive launched recently on Friday 30 November.
The area covered by the zone includes the whole of Birkett Drive between Urswick Road and Mountbarrow Road.
The zone has been set up to help crack down on doorstep crime and is the second one in the area to be launched since the introduction of the No Cold Calling Zone self-help toolkit.
Local resident Karen Land requested for the street to become a no-go area for cold callers at the latest Ulverston ‘Bringing Communities Together’ AGM on 16 October.
Since then the secretary for the group, Pat Appleton, has worked with Cumbria County Council’s Trading Standards Service to set up the zone, consulting with all residents on the street, local Police and Parish councils.
The aim of the zone is to place power in the residents’ hands, particularly the elderly, giving them the confidence to say “no” to bogus callers and rogue traders, bogus officials and thieves.
The zone is identified by signs at each end of the street where it joins Urswick Road and Mountbarrow Road and gives a clear signal to rogue traders that they are visiting an area where they are not welcome and where householders will not buy at the door. Stickers have also been issued to each house holder to display in their front door or window.
If a cold caller enters the zone there is a telephone number on the residents’ door stickers and calling this number will alert Trading Standards to the cold callers.
Mrs Appleton said: “Members of the UBCT and Neighbourhood Watch were concerned after recent aggressive cold callers in the area where there are a lot of elderly and vulnerable residents and we do worry. We thought it would be a good idea using the new toolkit to set up a zone and we are very pleased that it is going ahead.”
Residents were canvassed for their views and every household that returned forms voted in favour of the zone being set up.
Cumbria County Councillor Celia Tibble, Cabinet Member for Trading Standards, said: “Our officers will work alongside the police to increase the sense of community spirit, cut the number of unsolicited callers in the area and ensure the neighbourhood remains safe.”
John Greenbank, Cumbria Trading Standards Manager, said: “These zones are put in place to stop rogue traders ripping off residents and have proved successful across other areas of Cumbria. We would encourage any resident or community to engage with us and make use the toolkit where there are problems with cold callers.”
Anyone who has information about doorstep crime is encouraged to contact Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 040506
The toolkit can be accessed via the County Council website https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/tradingstandards/consumers/nocoldcallingzones.asp