Police have requested railings around raised tombstones in Ipswich to stop people from using them for sex and drug-taking.
The Arras Square redevelopment project is set to cost £900,000 and will appear before Ipswich Borough Council's planning and development committee on Wednesday.
The concerns as to sexual activity and drug-taking were raised by Suffolk Constabulary in a letter which has appeared on Ipswich Borough Council's planning portal.
Police said the Arras Square area has typically experienced high levels of crime, with frequent anti-social behaviour, assaults, thefts and drug-taking recorded over the past five years.
Specific incidents from 2022 included groups of young people fighting, posession of cocaine and cannabis, windows being smashed and racial abuse.
READ MORE: Arras Square revamp may help St Stephen's Church
Alongside installing railings to prevent the desecration of tombstones, Suffolk Constabulary also suggested reducing the available seating, installing CCTV to cover the whole site and gating the area out of hours.
The plans to revamp the area outside the Buttermarket Shopping Centre were first submitted in January.
The redevelopment is to include new seating, paving, drainage, lighting, litter bins and trees, as well as a new mural as decided by Ipswich residents.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here