Campaign to close housing estate bail hostel

1:52pm Monday 6th October 2008

Comments (1)   Have your say »

A CAMPAIGN has been launched calling for the closure of a private bail hostel for offenders opened on a housing estate.

Residents in Chestnut Close, Catford, claim they have been threatened with weapons, found syringes in the street and are afraid to let their children outside to play since the hostel opened.

It is believed it opened in February and did not need planning permission.

The hostel is run by property managers ClearSprings, along with another in Lewisham, for low-risk offenders either on bail or early release, under contract from the Ministry of Justice.

News Shopper asked the ministry to reveal the locations of the secret hostels under the Freedom of Information Act on May 2 but it failed to do so.

Ward councillor Councillor Mark Morris claims residents and councillors were not told where the hostel was opening.

He has started a petition, signed by 221 people from the close's 232-property estate, to get it closed.

Resident Chris Knight, who is a carer, told News Shopper the police were called regularly to the hostel, run from a normal house beside a communal garden.

The 44-year-old said: "Police are out there at least two or three times a week.

"As far as I'm concerned it's not the sort of thing I'd put on an estate that's got a lot of young kids. We don't know what offenders are going in there.

"It's alright for them to say it would only be very light offenders. It doesn't seem very light to me."

Fellow resident Tina Gillett, 48, claims visitors to the hostel were also a problem, hiding behind cars and in people's gardens when the police arrived.

She said: "Every day for 24 hours there are different people going in and out.

"Syringes are being left in the street. Our kids are under constant supervision.

"When it kicks off out there it's just really bad."

Mr Morris says residents have also complained about people knocking on their doors late at night asking for money.

He said: "The location is clearly unsuitable.

"Bail hostels do have a role to play before people get to court.

"But I object to the way this has been done, the lack of consultation and informing the people who should know about it."

Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock has written to justice minister David Hanson saying the council was not properly consulted on the hostels.

Lewisham East MP Bridget Prentice, who is a parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice, said: "The concerns of local people are my concerns also.

"The contract agreed with ClearSprings requires them to consult the police, enforcement agencies and local authorities.

"I've discussed this with Sir Steve Bullock and my departmental colleague David Hanson who has said he will investigate any case where such bodies have not been consulted."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "ClearSprings has been in contact with Lewisham Council for consultation purposes since October 2007 and continues to liaise with local police and probation services."