Last week I was approached by a very large number of
residents with significant concerns that the people who run Cosgarne Hall, a
wet house for people with chaotic lifestyles in St Asutell are planning on
opening a similar facility on Eliot Road in Newquay.
The people who have contacted me understand, as do I, that
we must do what we can to support and rehabilitate those people who have fallen
on hard times and suffer for all sorts of reasons from drug and alcohol
addiction and the chaotic, damaging and disruptive behaviour this can bring.
However they are concerned that such support needs to be
appropriate, both for the people it is trying to help, but also for the
communities in which such facilities are in.
People who have contacted me are concerned that the proposed
location of the facility is wrong. It is a primary residential area. There are
two nurseries nearby. Children regularly use the road to walk to school. There
are a number of well-established B&Bs. From past experience the residents
of a facility such as this, located in the middle of a town in a residential
area, have caused numerous anti-social behaviour issues in their community, and
people are concerned that the same will happen in Newquay if this goes ahead.
Another concern raised with me is that services provided by
a facility to help those with drug and alcohol problems needs to not allow such
activities on their premises. Cosgarne Hall is a wet facility and as such residents
are allowed to drink on site. I do not think this helps with rehabilitating
them.
Residents are all also concerned that, as in St Austell,
having a facility like this, will lead to more and more people coming in, not
just from Newquay and its surrounding communities, but from all over the
country, to stay at the facility and then remain in the town once their funded
placement has finished. People are concerned that because of how this type of
facility operates, this will to a number of people with unresolved issues
remaining in Newquay and causing issues with anti-social behaviour, as has
happened in St Austell.
I have already made urgent representations to Cosgarne Hall,
Cornwall Council, local police and the Diocese that currently has ownership of
the building in question, and will do all I can to ensure the concerns of Newquay
residents and businesses, are taken into account.
My team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and
work hard to make a real difference to the lives of everyone needing support.
The office is open to the public Monday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm (no
appointment necessary). If there is an issue you would like my assistance on
then please, either visit the office or contact me on either 01726 829379 or
office@stevedouble.org.uk. Additionally, I hold regular, appointment only,
advice surgeries across the constituency. Dates of these can be found at: www.stevedouble.org.uk/events
