Victory for hostel protesters (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Victory for hostel protesters

8:17am Wednesday 10th September 2008 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

Neighbours in Swindon are celebrating after a controversial proposal to convert an old people's home into a hostel for ex-offenders was rejected by councillors.

The plan to double the size of the Bridge Services hostel on Croft Road, which houses single men on probation, was unanimously rejected by the planning committee at a meeting on Tuesday night after impassioned speeches by local residents and councillors.

The council chamber of the Civic Offices was packed with concerned residents and parents of children at local schools, who were worried about the concentration of so many ex-offenders, some of them high risk, in one area.

Mike Walters, of Croft Road, was one of the local residents who spoke in opposition to the proposal.

He said: "A community is sustainable when people continue to want to live there.

I would suggest that by allowing an increase in the provison for transient ex-offenders in this area the council will undermine the community that we have all worked to build." Old Town councillors Fionuala Foley and Mike Bawden also expressed their strong objections to the proposal.

Coun Foley said: "The proposal results in an over concentration of "hostel" facilities at this location, which will have an adverse impact on the level of amenity currently enjoyed by local residents, families and users of the nearby school by reason of fear and concern arising from the use of the premises." Morven Lamont, the area business manager for the applicant, Stonham Home Group Ltd, confirmed that the company would be taking the decision to appeal, and reiterated their commitment to helping vulnerable ex-offenders reintegrate themselves into society.

She said: "We are disappointed in the decision that has been made.

However we fully understand the concerns of local residents." Speaking after the meeting, local residents said they were delighted with the result but were ready to fight any appeal.

Dr Natasha Conner, who spoke at the meeting, said the residents' objections were not about nimbyism but about saturation of similar projects in Old Town.

She said: "This is wrong for the community and I was pleased to be able to fight for something I really believe." Dr Conner's husband, Mike, said: "The good thing about this is that it really brought the community together to fight for something that we fundamentally disagreed with.

It's a victory for common sense." Sarah Walters said: "I have lived in Old Town all my life and this was the first time I have ever thought of moving out.

I'm so relieved at the decision and want to thank the councillors and our solicitor, Francis George, for all their help."