THE realities of having a homeless shelter in the middle of a residential area have been exposed through a debate in a nearby town.

The Newbury site of Two Saints, the organisation seeking to build a new halfway house in Basingstoke, has been criticised for the "mess and trouble" caused by its inhabitants.

As previously reported, residents in Culver Road, Kings Furlong, are growing concerned about proposals to build a 23-bed facility in the middle of quiet street.

One of the common concerns cited is a fear of increased crime and disorder. Two Saints' existing halfway house in May Place in Basingstoke, experiences a number of crimes each month with eight incidents recorded in December.

And now debate has surfaced 16 miles away in Newbury where the town council was discussing whether to build residential flats opposite Two Saints' hostel on Newton Road.

The deputy mayor of Newbury, Cllr Billy Drummond, spoke out against it, telling The Gazette: "I am supportive of Two Saints but I just think it is the wrong place to put flats. You get a hell of a lot of mess and a bit of trouble. It's not a good idea."

Cllr Drummond said there are occasionally fights outside the hostel and problems with people drinking outside of it, as well as lots of bottles, cans, and old sleeping bags lying around and people causing “a general nuisance”. While pictures showed the nearby area is strewn with litter.

“The thing is, they have quite strict guidelines for getting in with drinks, but not outside the hostel,” he said.

He said he would like to see more CCTV, patrols and other measures put into place, particularly if housing was to be considered nearby.

Two Saints says it carries out daily litter picks on its own land, but that the 'wasteland' in question has been 'empty and unloved' for many years.

When the Newbury facility was first built, Cllr Drummond said it 'wasn't an issue' because the area wasn't as built up.

He said: "The Two Saints site here was put in before there was really anything else there. It wasn’t a problem before but I think it’s going to be a problem now."

Cllr Drummond said he understood the concerns of Kings Furlong residents, saying: “I understand where they are coming from. I would be concerned too.

“I feel for them. I wouldn’t be happy if one was built next to me. But they have to go somewhere, that’s the thing. It’s freezing cold out there. I am in a nice warm house and we see them with nowhere to go, it’s really hard.”

Sending a message to Basingstoke council ahead of the planning application being considered, Cllr Drummond said: “Land is very expensive, and councils do have a responsibility to help the homeless, but they should help the locals as well.

“It’s what they can do for the residents. When the members make the decision, they have to take that into consideration. Because they are probably not living on the same street. It’s the ward councillors that will get all the stick.”

Ward councillors in Kings Furlong have faced criticism from residents for not representing their views.

Charlotte Buckingham, client services director at Two Saints, said: "As an organisation that supports people without a permanent home, we’re delighted that more social housing could soon be built in Newbury. Housing in Newbury is very expensive and out-of-reach for many everyday people, with normal incomes, from the town.

"The planned housing development would massively improve the local area. The wasteland earmarked for the development – shown in the picture – has been empty, unloved and full of litter for many years.

"We do, however, carry out daily litter picks on our land, and around our building, to make sure any rubbish that is left there is removed each day. We would also happily support wider community litter picks if there were any."

She added that, "although we can never say, we’ll never have an issue" Two Saints has not had any complaints from neighbours recorded in the past 12 months.

"That said, it’s also very important to remember, the services we provide at Newtown Road in Newbury are different from those we propose for Culver Road in Basingstoke.

"The two aren’t the same. The scheme in Newbury is a large hostel. It houses between 60-65 people every night. Culver Road, on the other hand, is a supported living home which is much smaller, and where we will do more intensive work with clients.

"There will be more investment in the long-term solutions that help people rebuild their futures. The people who live there will come from all walks of life, and will be homeless for many different reasons."

Stressing the important role of the charity's work, Charlotte added: "Homelessness can happen to almost anyone. The people we will help at Culver Road will be the children and grandchildren of local people who need intensive support to find a permanent home."