Parents voice fears at public meeting over proposed homeless hostel Queensmead, in Christchurch

PARENTS worried about serious offenders being sent to a proposed homeless hostel in Christchurch were told at a packed public meeting that anyone living there will be “nil to low risk”.

Around 150 residents attended a noisy meeting of Christchurch Town Council to vent their concerns about the plan put forward by BCP Council.

The scheme would create a 20-room adult-only facility at Queensmead in Bronte Avenue, in a residential area and near to three schools.

The town council met to decide how to respond – after having to reschedule a previous meeting when a large crowd turned up.

Cllr Margaret Phipps, in whose ward Queensmead is, said she had been told by one head teacher how parents had been raising child safety concerns.

Cllr Phipps said: "I spoke to a head teacher who has had parents come to her absolutely distraught and a lady bursting into tears because she feels it will not be safe for children to be walking to school and back.

"There is huge fear, concern and anxiety in this community, and people are going to feel unsafe where they live which is just unacceptable."

There have been hundreds of objections, but at the meeting there were also suggestions for alternative uses of the site, such as a care home, or for the hostel to go elsewhere.

Retired police officer Sarah Newman, who lives in Bronte Avenue, told councillors that, in her experience dealing with the homeless "they have drugs, alcohol and mental health issues and cause significant harm to the community" through "anti-social behaviour" and "acquisitive crime".

She said the area with its "community of families with young children and elderly" was not a suitable place for a hostel.

One person at the meeting said: “Hundreds of children will walk past this place on their way to and from school every day. It is not right to have a hostel there.”

But two BCP Council officers who are involved in rehousing homeless people told the meeting that those living in the hostel will be of “nil to low risk”.

Fraser Nicholson, homelessness coordinator, said: “No sex offenders will go into this service. People who come out of prison and are considered high risk are placed in specialised accommodation."

Anthony Lowe, tenancy services manager housing, added: “This isn’t the type of service that people like that will be placed in. The service at Queensmead is for nil-to-low-risk people."

He said the council was seeing “unprecedented” levels of homelessness due to the cost of living and housing crisis, adding: “It can happen to anyone.”

Cllr Mike Tarling said he had heard “some fairly wild stories" about what is going to happen at Queensmead.

But he told the meeting: “As I read the management plan, and I understand from having a friend in the probation service, we are not going to be overrun with sex offenders and our children are not necessarily going to be at risk.”

Cllr Mike Cox said: “There's too much vitriol going on. Stating sex offenders [will housed in the hostel] is clearly wrong and should never have been put out there.

“It frightens people."

The council unanimously voted to object to the plan on grounds which included that the site was unsuitable and there had been no consultation with local residents.