Developer moves to reassure residents concerned about Bedlington supported living unit

The company behind a new supported living development in Bedlington has moved to reassure residents after concerns were raised about who would be living there.
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Applicant J&W Lowry were granted planning permission to build a 12-bed apartment block on a vacant plot on the town’s front street in March.

At the time, concerns were raised by local councillors about a lack of parking in the area as well as a loss of amenity and privacy to nearby properties. However, the plans were approved by members despite these concerns.

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Steven Houlsby, who lives opposite the site, said he and other neighbours were worried about the development and a potential impact on public safety. He also said the developer had not spoken with residents to alleviate these fears.

Supported living. File imageSupported living. File image
Supported living. File image

He said: “All of the streets around it have young families and there is a first school nearby.

"We were told it was adults with specialist healthcare needs, but we didn’t know exactly what that meant.

“We just wanted to know what was going on opposite to where we live. Another major issue is the parking, which is already dreadful in the area.”

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However, Mr Houlsby added: “If the development was for people needing a helping hand in life, nobody in the community would have an issue with it.”

And the developer behind the project has confirmed that will be the case.

Director Thomas Foster said: “The development will be for anyone with low levels of care requirement.

“It will generally be people recovering from mental health issues or with learning disabilities. It is not intented for people with criminal backgrounds, it is not designed for that.

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“It is designed for the most vulnerable people in our society, who don’t have a voice and need help to live independently.

"You’re actually more likely to have someone with an ‘undesirable’ background live next you if it is a private rental, because you can get anybody living next to you with a private landlord.”

Mr Foster added that those living at the site would be unlikely to have access to their own private cars, reducing the impact on the area’s parking.

There is currently no estimated date for completion of the development.