September 2005
Input re the Proposed Potens development at Queens Court,
Queens Court, Old Colwyn was reportedly to be used as a rehab clinic for Drugs and alcohol dependants. ~ The secretary attended a meeting on 23rd August when Councillors and other officials from the Health Board and social services, housing etc had met with officials from the home. The Home is already an 18 bed centre for the treatment of Korsakovs syndrome, which is dementia due to alcoholism. It was intended to use a further twenty beds for mental health treatment, they have been informed that they need change of use permission and hope very much that this may be allowed when considered. There was a psychiatrist (advisor to the home) present at the meeting and he said that it is practice in such cases that he had worked on in other areas, for there to be exclusions of the types of mental cases referred to such community based homes, to exclude cases which presented a danger to society..
The Home now has to apply for change of use permission for the treatment of Korsakovs syndrome and Mental Health. Statements were made to the health professionals and councillors present at the meeting, about their intentions. There will be persons from other areas who will be treated but the primary intention is to treat local people for whom there is no suitable treatment in North Wales at present who have to stay many miles away. There is a need we were told.
There were Health and Council professionals present who could weigh these needs and who will be involved with the Change of Use Application when submitted.
The situation at present is that a Southport based company is doing its best to enter a niche market using the home that they have bought.
They claim that due to change of use being necessary, they are having some difficulty formulating a plan to put to the planning authority.
When they have a plan they will consult and actively intend to consult the local public as well as the professionals. Nothing will be sneaked in by the back door; which was the initial fear. There is local feeling that we do not need another home treating mental illness in the area but this argument has been put forward to the meeting by Cllr Squire and the argument (attached to this document), of a number of local problems and Old Colwyn not needing any more, was put by the secretary.
We must now wait and see where the issue goes. There will be a change of use application and we will be consulted.
The Home now has to apply for change of use permission for the treatment of Korsakovs syndrome and Mental Health. Statements were made to the health professionals and councillors present at the meeting, about their intentions. There will be persons from other areas who will be treated but the primary intention is to treat local people for whom there is no suitable treatment in North Wales at present who have to stay many miles away. There is a need we were told.
There were Health and Council professionals present who could weigh these needs and who will be involved with the Change of Use Application when submitted.
The situation at present is that a Southport based company is doing its best to enter a niche market using the home that they have bought.
They claim that due to change of use being necessary, they are having some difficulty formulating a plan to put to the planning authority.
When they have a plan they will consult and actively intend to consult the local public as well as the professionals. Nothing will be sneaked in by the back door; which was the initial fear. There is local feeling that we do not need another home treating mental illness in the area but this argument has been put forward to the meeting by Cllr Squire and the argument (attached to this document), of a number of local problems and Old Colwyn not needing any more, was put by the secretary.
We must now wait and see where the issue goes. There will be a change of use application and we will be consulted.
The Chair asked why they had been allowed to carry on treating people with Korsakovs syndrome if they had been doing so up until now without planning permission and required such permission.
Cllr Squire informed the meeting that once the home realised they needed planning permission, they then have to apply and until that application is considered, they can continue treatment
Cllr Squire informed the meeting that once the home realised they needed planning permission, they then have to apply and until that application is considered, they can continue treatment
_______________________________________________________________________________
INPUT BY THE. SECRETARY TO THE QUEENS COURT MEETING 23rd August 2005 ~
About 20 months ago there was a burgeoning problem in Old Colwyn
There was a sudden upsurge in the amount of drug selling and addicts and nobody knew why. The result ~ Rowlands chemist in Old Colwyn was found to be the only surviving needle exchange between Rhyl and Llandudno ~ the problem had followed the supply chain. We are still fighting to get to grips with that problem.
This sounds as if local people do not realise that civilisation is diverse and everyone has rights.
The problem is social engineering. Some time ago, a large building in the centre of the village was given a 100% grant for renovation on the understanding that the flats were going to be superior ~ the result, renovations were inferior and many of the people who were moved in by the Wrexham based management firm were drug addicts and pushers.
~ the result, the centre of Old Colwyn became a target for addicts queuing for drugs.
Yesterday the police were conducting raids there. One of the up to date main suppliers is a young man from WREXHAM and we have had them from all over the North West.
About 20 months ago there was a burgeoning problem in Old Colwyn
There was a sudden upsurge in the amount of drug selling and addicts and nobody knew why. The result ~ Rowlands chemist in Old Colwyn was found to be the only surviving needle exchange between Rhyl and Llandudno ~ the problem had followed the supply chain. We are still fighting to get to grips with that problem.
This sounds as if local people do not realise that civilisation is diverse and everyone has rights.
The problem is social engineering. Some time ago, a large building in the centre of the village was given a 100% grant for renovation on the understanding that the flats were going to be superior ~ the result, renovations were inferior and many of the people who were moved in by the Wrexham based management firm were drug addicts and pushers.
~ the result, the centre of Old Colwyn became a target for addicts queuing for drugs.
Yesterday the police were conducting raids there. One of the up to date main suppliers is a young man from WREXHAM and we have had them from all over the North West.
We have social problems that we are struggling to come to grips with working with Council and police.
In another instance, the Probation Service wanted to develop a young offenders institute in an empty church hall in old Colwyn and was intending bussing young offenders daily into Old Colwyn for training. These people would have walked out into the village at lunchtime etc to mix with local youth. We had a struggle to fight that development.
We have vagrants regularly coming into the village and it is obvious that they are here to squat for a short while before declaring themselves homeless to get housing.
We have a large number of school age children in the area. Some of whom meet daily after school and evenings in the likes of Wynn Gardens, 200 yards away from Queens Court. Vulnerable young people and we have drug addicts who regularly use Wynn gardens for trade and one has been seen administering himself a needle in the park.
Now we hear that Queens Court has been bought by a big company from the North West of England, not only to treat our own people with problems but who will bring into Old Colwyn people from the North West of England
Part of the facility is the treatment of Korsakovs Syndrome and now instead of the elderly persons who used to live there, it is now to become a home for the treatment of people with mental problems. Old Colwyn already has a treatment centre for mental health in Hesketh Road, Bryn Hesketh.
There is also a circulating rumour which has a ring of truth that when some of these patients have finished a course of treatment, they have to live within five miles of the treatment centre.
Old Colwyn has embraced various groups of people with social, medical and other challenges. It has been proved that we are an inclusive society but there has to be a time when society itself has to look at the wider problems that it is generating in particular areas like Colwyn by looking after the troubles of other areas. The result ~ we do not get a balanced mix of society, just problem groups.
Old Colwyn has embraced various groups of people with social, medical and other challenges. It has been proved that we are an inclusive society but there has to be a time when society itself has to look at the wider problems that it is generating in particular areas like Colwyn by looking after the troubles of other areas. The result ~ we do not get a balanced mix of society, just problem groups.
These are the concerns of residents ~ Social engineering / vulnerable young and old people in the area and no say in the types of development which are allowed in their own village which bring disadvantaged sections of society into OLD COLWYN.
We have had over £600,000 of funding on environmental enhancement in Old Colwyn over 4 years to make the area attractive and enjoyable for people to live in and visit.
It is important to the members of our residents association and known other groups that developments take into account the problems of the area which already exist. We are building a broader mix of social problems.
