FOLLOWING strong presentations of opposition to the provision of a Youth Shelter on the Southern Road Recreation Ground in Thame, Thame Town Council have decided that they ?will not ever consider placing a youth shelter on the recreation ground.?
The council?s decision came at a meeting of its Culture, Leisure and Recreation committee last night, during which a packed public gallery of residents clapped as their representatives told councillors why they objected to a youth shelter near their homes.
Bob Champion said that residents near the Southern Roads ?Rec? endured noise at the rear of their houses, discarded condoms, needles and vandalism and that in his opinion, a youth shelter would not deal with these problems.
A Mr Loach, told the meeting that feelings in Spring Path, where he lives, were running high about this proposal. ?A youth shelter would become the haunt of anti-socials,? he said.
?We already have to put up with loud, revving of cars, loud music from the Guide HQ building, screaming from girls and swearing, to all hours.
?A Youth Shelter will make things worse,? he added.
?A location must be found not near houses.?
The Chairman of the CLR committee, Cllr Nigel-Champken Woods, explained that the council had made a commitment to provide a Youth Shelter over two years ago since when the council had looked at other possible sites, including the Queen Elizabeth Circle, near Roundhead Drive in Thame, which has also met with some opposition by local residents.
Cllr Champken-Woods rejected Mr Champion?s criticism that the council had rejected ?the circle? because of opposition, stating that a full consultation had not yet been carried out on that site, and so it had not been rejected as a possibility. He said that he had done some research himself and had struggled to find any negative comments on Youth Shelters that had been installed elsewhere in the country. He quoted Lincoln where Police Community Support Officers had reported their YS as being ?well used by young people.? The town of Hamilton, which was in the process of installing its second shelter, reported: ?The YS has helped to reduce crime and the fear of crime.?
Chiltern District Council had stated that theirs had been ?of great benefit in providing a place for young people to go where they did not have to meet with confrontations, it reduced boredom and removed a possible first step to crime.?
Burnley had reported an 87% reduction in vandalism since the installation of a YS.
Thame?s Crime Prevention Officer, Lesley Nesbitt, who spoke at the meeting, made the following comments:
1. She noted that there were no youths present at the meeting and asked if they had been informed about it.
2. The police have worked with the council to remove a bench in the area that was used by middle-aged alcoholics, driven there by the town centre ?Designated Drinking Area? designation.
3. She would be concerned that a shelter would be taken over by this same group because of its proximity to the town.
4. A By Law could be introduced to ban alcohol from the area but it would need to be rigourously enforced.
5. All the young people want is somewhere safe, away from adults to kick a ball around.
6. Youth Shelters do not increase problems.
7. With regard to the problems experienced by residents, from a police point of view they can only know about problems if they hear about them. Residents should report incidents to the police and they will be logged even if there is no immediate response.
8. If anyone feels threatened, they should call 999
Cllr Nick Carter said that he thought the money for a YS would be better saved and ring-fenced for youth expenditure on some future, more popular project like the library. Fellow councillor, David Dodds called the proposal to situate a YS so close to elderly residents in Sharman Beer Court, ?ludicrous? and something that would worsen the quality of life of people living in the area.? He added: ?The police should not be driving by, but going up to these people and engaging with them.?
The Mayor of Thame, Cllr David Laver, said: ?We should not ignore the views of our young people. The PCSOs do engage with the youth. They are not all disruptive; some of them are really marvellous, and I find them polite when I talk to them. They have just as much right to have their needs met as older people.
?The youths with cars are older people,? he added. He suggested that the area ought to be lit, perhaps with solar panels. He pointed out that the money had already been allocated from the council?s budget for a Youth Shelter.
?We should take into account the views of local residents and the police should be there to make sure that disruptive behaviour is not happening.?
Cllr. Owen Davies said: ?Our predicament is that we do want to meet the needs and wishes of young people and this is best done through the Youth Council. But we need to find the right location, perhaps in the Upper High Street?
?A Youth Shelter should be only one part of a broader approach to tackling some of the problems we have heard about tonight. ?
A proposal by Cllr David Dodds, to set up a Forum of local residents, the Police, youth workers and other interested parties, to look at the concerns about anti-social behaviour at the Southern Road Recreation Ground, was accepted by the committee.
Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods issued the following statement today:
?I would just like to say that the attendance at the Committee meeting was most welcomed and that we the Town Council would encourage local residents to attend any council meetings.
?In regard to a youth shelter being installed at Southern Road Recreation Ground, I think that the comments received from residents local to the recreation ground highlight a number of problems that need to be addressed. The perception that the installation of a youth shelter would increase these anti-social problems is, I suggest, unfounded from the research I have undertaken. However, we as a Town Council need to address the anti-social problems that are of concern to the residents around the SRRG and therefore request any one interested in forming a local residents forum to look at the problems and ways of solving them should let the Town Clerk have their contact details so that a meeting can be set up.
?As for the needs of the young people in the town, I would like the engagement from both sides to be increased and strengthened. I personally am disappointed that whenever we consider something for the youth of the town it seems usually to be met with opposition. There is a Youth Council that is run by young people living locally and which is fully supported by the Town Council. I would encourage more younger members of our community to join and use this group to have their needs heard and considered.
?If anyone is interested in joining either group they should contact the town council by emailing the clerk at oss@thametowncouncil.gov.uk, telephoning 01844 212833 or calling in to the Town Hall and leaving their details with the One Stop Shop.”