Bohemia Village Voice

St Peter’s Residents’ Association writes (Nov 2008)

Dear Sir,

I wonder if residents are aware that a secure 24-hour unit for the care of Prader Willi sufferers has been in operation since September at no. 36 St. Peter’s Road, since nobody has been served notice of this development? Obvious concerns to residents are the already limited parking spaces, especially in view of bulk deliveries and clinical waste collections; and the negative effect on property prices in the road as confirmed by a local estate agent.

Privacy is a further concern for immediate neighbours, as the garden is used by staff and residents. This is already a socially imbalanced town and there is a need for more socially active people.  The town’s problems can only be exacerbated by importing vulnerable people to be cared for on a commercial basis.

St Peter’s Residents’ Association, St Peter’s Road.

New Directions writes (Nov 2008)

Dear Sir,

New Directions is a private company and has been running services for adults with Prader Willi syndrome for ten years. The new service in St Peter’s Road was opened on 1st September 2008 for four young adults. There was no intention of ‘secrecy’. We did not advertise the fact that we were opening, as we would like the people who live at the home to be accepted as individuals and not labelled as ‘different’ or ‘disabled’. We did invite our immediate neighbours to our ‘Open House Day’ to give them the opportunity to chat with staff and find out more about who we are and what we do.

No. 36, St Peter’s Road is not a secure unit. The front door is key-padded, and this is to protect the young people who live in the home from wandering out alone, where they may be vulnerable and may be in search of food. Our understanding of planning rules is the same as that of Cllr Cartwright. However, there was full change of use granted under the building regulations work. The new service, when fully occupied, will be employing between 15 and 20 people. We hope this will be seen as a positive for Bohemia, from an employment point of view and from an increased support for local businesses.

It is a common misconception that care homes have an adverse effect on house prices. In the vast majority of cases, a care home is no more or less desirable a neighbour than any other multiple occupancy house. Many properties in this area have been converted into flats and bedsits housing many more people, leading to increased on-street parking, dog-fouling, etc. The people we support do not have cars or dogs.

New Directions (St Leonards-on-Sea) Ltd, 36, St Peter’s Road. [name of writer not given].

Nicole Barrett writes (Dec 2008)

Dear Sirs,

I am afraid that your last two editions have made me rather angry. Many people in my road, (St Peter’s), are aware of the Prader Willi home.  After having spoken to a number of residents / neighbours in our street, I would like to apologise to the residents at their new home as well as the people running it.  Apart from ONE of my neighbours, nobody is aware of this so-called St Peter’s Residents’ Association and I would assume that people having lived in this street for most of their life would be involved in such a cause. NONE of the people I have spoken to have any problem with this new home whatsoever.  I live opposite and do not have a bad word against our new neighbours.  In the end, we would all be the first to send our own children to such a home around the corner if they would need such help. Could the editor of this magazine please ensure that letters written to the editor are from associations that are either officially registered or can prove to have been democratically selected.  To the knowledge of many of the residents at St Peters Road there is no such thing as the “St Peters Residents Association”. I would ask for letters from this person, that they be printed with their name under it instead of representing people who they have never spoken to.
Nicole Barrett, St Peter’s Road
[Nicole, the correspondent had supplied their name and address, but see letter below – ed]

A St Peter’s Road resident writes (Dec 2008)

Dear Sir,

I refer to the letter I sent you last month from the ‘St Peter’s Road Association’.  I would like to say that any disparaging comments are very much regretted and that there is no longer a residents’ association.This had been formed on an ad hoc basis, to tackle what we feared was a real problem. We were wrong. I have already apologised to the owners myself.

St Peter’s Road resident (name & address supplied)