Fears over new council homes amid 'drug dealing and prostitution' at nearby flats

[dutchman]

The council says that new homes in Bedworth are needed desperately to help cope with its ever increasing waiting list



Residents have raised fears over new council homes in Bedworth amid 'drug dealing and prostitution' at nearby flats. Householders in Cheveral Road said that they were not against new homes being built - but did not want them to be flats.

This is because they say that they already suffer as a result of the flats in nearby Mount Pleasant Road. One of the concerned locals, Mr Harris, spoke at a planning committee meeting where the proposals for eight homes - four, two bedroom houses and four one, bedroom flats - on former playground land between 4-14 Cheveral Road were being discussed.

"If you were to build six houses, instead of four flats and four houses , we would accept this gratefully," he said. "The reason for this is we have a block of flats right opposite, where you want to want to build the new flats, and over the last 20 years we have suffered drug dealing, drug parties, prostitution, all night parties.

"This is not just at this block of flats but others. We are concerned that building another block of flats, this will aggravate the situation.

"I have been threatened with violence. I have had a knife put to my throat.

"We have had to put up with this behaviour and still are having to do so. The amount of broken windows in these flats, I have given the council information and details many times, as with the police.

"They do not seem to want to take any action on these problems and we are greatly concerned about building more flats."

Another resident spoke on behalf of a neighbour who said that her house will be impacted by the proposed new homes. There is a fear that a gap between her home and the new development will create an alleyway for trouble makers.

Parking on the road, especially at school times, was described as ' horrendous' and she added: "I don't have an issue with family homes being built at all. The problem has always been the flats.

"The road is nice little community and has come full circle over the years. We have plenty of flats on our own front and back doorsteps we don't need anymore."

Ward councillor Martin Walsh said that consultation with local residents about the housing proposal was a 'box ticking exercise' and residents concerns were not listened to. "The flats do not have the support of the local community and will not truly meet the needs of housing," he said.

Cllr Brian Hammersley said: "We know what goes on, we know the anti-social behaviour that goes on, the dirt bikes that wheelie round the streets. They (the residents) are willing to compromise, they are willing to have houses but not flats.

"Mount Pleasant flats have been a bone of contention with ne'er-do-wells. It is fantastic that the council wants to clear up this patch of land and put properties up, but not at the cost of attracting the wrong people. These locals don't want, just for the sake of number crunching, to just make those numbers up. They are worried and concerned about more flats."

More debate was undertaken before a vote was carried out and the application was approved.