Wednesday 23 May 2018

Newquay newspaper column 23 May - Plans for Cosgarne Hall in Newquay...


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