Endeavour Housing Supported Flats Planning Application 263 Marton Road

These are summary of key points Councillor Habib Rehman submitted to the planning committee on behalf of residents who had expressed concerns:-

1. Planning application includes false, misleading and inaccurate information.

2. The demolition and re-construction work will cause traffic congestion, litter, noise, disturbance and damage to neighbouring properties. Local residents concerns and issues have not been adequately resolved. The points they raised regarding respecting, safeguarding and protecting the neighbours from noise, disturbance, damage, litter/waste, pollution, loss of privacy and protection from abuse and harassment and the violation of their human rights have not been formally discussed or agreed with the local residents. Residents need to be reassured and guaranteed in writing that they will be fully protected and compensated for any inconvenience, disturbance, damage and loss suffered.

3. Traffic hazards and dangers to vulnerable tenants living on a busy main road. Constant noise of traffic, sirens and horns bleeping all the time will affect and disturb people with learning disabilities and associated complex needs including autism, sensory disabilities, aspergers, forensic and challenging behaviors, this will hinder their recovery and possibly even worsen their health condition.

4. The appearance of the proposed development and its effect on people’s enjoyment of their environment will be detrimental, as it will severely reduce their privacy and expose them to danger. Tenants and their visitors will be able to watch and spy on neighbouring residents every move. Therefore, residents will need to be reassured that their safety and security will not be diminished and their human rights fully protected.

5. The proposed new structure will reduce and block light to neighbouring properties. It will also block air and ventilation to adjacent properties causing damp and other forms damage. (Local residents who came to the site visit stated that neighbouring properties already have these problems and Angle court was shut down).

6. This location is already known locally as a “hot-spot” and associated with drugs, prostitution, ex-offenders and psychiatric patients all re-housed at this locality. It will therefore, increase the risk and endanger local residents, women, children, elderly and disable living nearby, by acting as a magnet in attracting individuals/groups to congregate and involve anti-social behaviour and crime. By their own admission (UBU/Endeavour), it is a known fact, that where these projects are situated, there have been incidents of serious issues and problems relating to conflicts and disturbances. Local residents and tenants/users have been known to fight in order to settle their differences and neighbourly disputes. UBU/Endeavour promised to provide more details of their work and arrange a visit for residents to see their other projects in Middlesbrough. We are still waiting for this to take place.

7. Local residents will need to be reassured and persuaded that their safety and security will bee taken seriously by providing a written guarantee, agreeing a protocol and practical security measures to be in-built from the outset and agreed at the University Community Council.

Councillor Habib Rehman requested and recommended that this application be deferred until such time it had been officially and properly been put in front of the University Community Council in September before making any final decisions.