The government says it will make £150m available over the next three financial years for police and crime commissioners and local authorities across England and Wales, as well as certain civil society organisations.

According to the government, the Safer Streets Programme provides funding to areas most affected by crime and antisocial behaviour and will allow local authorities, civil society organisations and police and crime commissioners to bid for up to £500k per year for each project.

The latest round of the fund, which was previously announced in the Levelling Up White Paper, targets neighbourhood crime, violence against women and girls and – for the first time – antisocial behaviour.

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said: “Our local communities are the beating hearts of the UK and I want our streets to be safe for everyone to go about their daily lives without fear inflicted on them by criminals.

“The Safer Streets Fund improves the safety and security of areas blighted by crime and helps the police and local councils ensure that everyone is safe on our streets, going to the shops, seeing friends. It also prevents potential perpetrators committing such crimes in the first place so our communities are able to flourish.”

The Crime, Policing and Probation Minister, Kit Malthouse, said: “As well as being tough on criminals, we need to outsmart them where we can, preventing their crimes. The Safer Streets Fund does exactly that, giving neighbourhoods the money they need to “target harden” their homes and streets, outfoxing villains and making them think twice before offending.

“We want everyone to feel safe in the public space, and as we build safer streets, town by town, I hope that we can restore pride, alongside safety, as something people say about where they live.”