Police and Crime Commissioner joins celebrations of Chippenham's night-time safety award

Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, has praised the strong relationship between Chippenham Town Council and its local Neighbourhood Police Team after the town celebrated being reawarded Purple Flag status at a specially held breakfast event.

The Purple Flag scheme recognises towns and cities which provide a safe and well-managed evening and night-time economy and is designed to highlight places that offer a wide range of leisure and cultural experiences.

Purple Flag assessors measured footfall in the town centre, which has risen since their last visit, and commended the revival of the Pubwatch scheme, now involving 22 licensed venues—making it the third largest in Wiltshire. They also praised the way the scheme is being used to deliver valuable training, such as WAVE training funded by the OPCC, and strengthen community safety through coordinated partnership working.

Mr Wilkinson said:

“It is encouraging to see Chippenham maintain the high standards required for Purple Flag accreditation. This achievement is a credit to the Town Council, Neighbourhood Policing Team, local businesses and community partners working closely together.

"Collaboration like this not only improves the evening experience for residents and visitors but also ensures people feel safe and confident in the town at night.”

Following the breakfast event, representatives from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) attended Chippenham’s Safety Forum. During the session, they provided a detailed explanation of the role and responsibilities of the OPCC and outlined the range of services commissioned by the Office to make Chippenham a safer place to live and work.

Sgt Jamie Ball from the Chippenham Neighbourhood Policing Team spoke of how there had been a 12.5% decrease in reported anti-social behaviour from January 2025 to September 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.

He welcomed the partnership work being undertaken by local police officers, council staff and CCTV operators in the town, which helped to continue Purple Flag status in the town:

"As a Neighbourhood Policing Team, we work hard to address the issues in Chippenham and we're seeing positive results as a consequence.

"Our work is made easier by the strong partnerships with the Chippenham Town Council team, our local businesses and residents.

"It's through their support, we can continue to keep Chippenham safe."

Published Friday 3 October 2025