News

Youth shelter anger boils over

March 05, 2010

Ugly scenes at a parish council meeting meant it had to be called off mid-way through because the chairman could not restore order.

Around 30 members of the public turned out to Crowthorne Parish Council’s meeting on Tuesday to challenge councillors saying they had not been consulted over plans to build a teen shelter and play area on the Morgan Recreation Ground.

They believe the move could cause a rise in anti-social behaviour.

The neighbours, who largely live in Addiscombe Road, Blake Close and Wellington Road, used the 15-minute question time at the monthly full council to put their views across to the council, chaired by Councillor Richard Price in the absence of Cllr Tina McKenzie-Boyle.

But, feeling that their questions had not been answered, people refused to back down when the 15 minutes period ended prompting Cllr Price to suspend the meeting having dealt with just five out of the 16 items on the night’s agenda.

Cllr Price said immediately after the meeting: “I had no other choice.”

Members of the public confronted councillors as they left the Parish Hall in Heath Hill Road South but they will have to wait until the meeting is reconvened at a later date to get more.

After the meeting The Rev Martin Caesar said: “They talk about anti-social behaviour from the youths but it’s very sad that tonight we’ve seen anti-social behaviour from the grown-ups.

“Councillors and members of the audience were just not listening to each other.”

People feel they have not been adequately consulted over the plans to build a play area, an outdoor gym for teenagers and a meeting shelter for teenagers on the Morgan Recreation Ground.

A statement from Crowthorne Parish Council said: “A public consultation was carried out in July 2009 which included local school children of various ages.

“Residents were also canvassed in Crowthorne High Street and consultation forms were handed out to parents and children attending the summer play scheme on the Morgan Recreation Ground.

“The fitness zone and shelter have been well-publicised in the press.

“The parish received 240 responses.”

Neil Kilvert of Addiscombe Road had told the meeting: “I never heard anything about this until I heard about it down the pub.”

Mike Vero added: “There were only 240 responses.

“That’s four per cent of the people of Crowthorne and a large percentage of them were children between 13 and 18.

“The methods [Crowthorne Parish Council] used to consult were inadequate.”

People also asked questions about police involvement in the scheme, why the location was chosen when there has been anti-social behaviour there in the past and if the scheme could be postponed to allow for a new consultation to take place.

But many felt there questions were unanswered by the end of the 15-minute question time.

Tony Gilbert-Johns of Addiscombe Road said afterwards: “We only get 15 minutes to put all of our questions to the council.

“That is just typical of a council that has been arrogant in the way it has dealt with this matter.”

The meeting will be reconvened but building work on the project is still set soon.

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Lapis - Again my question to you is WHY DID YOU MOVE NEXT TO A RECREATION GROUND?

CrowthorneLad, Crowthorne
09/03/2010 at 15:10

Actually - Lapis. I was at the meeting, and I think that the group of residents who did attend were completely out of order! You all should be ashamed of yourselves! No grow up!

CrowthorneLad, Crowthorne
09/03/2010 at 14:15

NIMBY-tastic.

I somehow doubt most of the kids in Crowthorne are feral, uncontrolled ASBO devils children.

Also, the old "We haven't been told about this" arguement, except in the papers, on the internet and on the village noticeboard.

It's very easy not to find out about things if you make a point of not looking.

Megaman
09/03/2010 at 10:52

It is obvious that none of the previous comments were made by anyone who actually attended the meeting in question, which was conducted by the acting Chair in an extremely unprofessional and arrogant manner, and who would not listen to what the very polite persons present had to say. It suited him completely to close the meeting because he did not want to listen to the very real concerns that the residents living near the Morgan Recreation Ground consider will return, ie SUBSTANTIAL ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AT NIGHT if this "24 hour teen zone" is created. No DIRECT consultation was made with any of the people who actually live nearby so the "consultation process" was FLAWED. Well advertised? Are you serious – it wasn’t even on their website! A Very Concerned Resident.

LapisLazuli
09/03/2010 at 10:28

What kind of an example are these people setting - causing a parish council meeting to be abandoned? They should be ashamed of themselves.

LarryS
08/03/2010 at 14:03

There would be more chaos there than a 'teen shelter' as has been written. I am actually under the understanding that this is not just a 'teen shelter' as it has been labelled, it is for people of all ages!

CrowthorneLad, Crowthorne
08/03/2010 at 09:49

Sounds like they need an adult shelter

JA
05/03/2010 at 16:26

Why did these people move next to a recreation ground in the first place? Should you not have expected people of all ages to have somewhere to meet/hang out and play? I agree that if anti-social behaviour was occurring, then the police should be involved. However, the plans will adequately support the needs of the children of Crowthorne. As for consultation, it is true that the press have been banging on about this for months. Any planning applications or changes to our area are always well documented on the Parish Council notice board near the library.