Madam, I attended a meeting at the Larruperz Centre on Monday, May 16th between SHYPP, the Police, local Councillors (both Town and County) and residents in the vicinity of, and from December House, regarding incidents that have happened at December House.
I was really saddened, but also angered, to note that the meeting was very one sided against what SHYPP were trying to achieve with the young people that reside there. I did not feel that the meeting accurately reflected the views of all the residents, and the issues were summed up by the police when they confirmed that very few incidents had been reported to them emanating from December House in the last thee years.
Local residents need to appreciate these are young and vulnerable people in one place, who may attract those who would take advantage of them, and there is potentially likely to be some anti-social behaviour such as music and drinking. It happens in all walks of society BUT how many incidents of these have occurred at December House over the last three years to merit having a supervisor on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or for a locked gate to be put into the wall of a listed building?
In the last 1095 days how many have there been incidents on? Probably fewer than 40, and when was the last time that any local resident phoned the on-call number to complain and what were the periods in between when they didn't?
If SHYPP, with a degree of control over December House residents, move on from there, what else could we get instead? The planning permission is very wide.
Remember there is co-operation on SHYPP's part, we need to work with them. Better the devil you know
D Evans, Ross