'Absolute disgrace': Drug and crime fears over bedsit plan at former care home

The proposal is to transform the vacant Beech Tree House care home on Himley Road, Dudley, into a 22-bed house for multiple occupants, or HMO.

But at a meeting of Dudley Council's planning committee around 50 residents packed the room to voice their concerns.

Councillors unanimously voted to defer a decision on the application until a site visit is made due to a lack of parking provision.

It comes after West Midlands Police crime prevention design advisor PC Simon Barratt said these types of developments often become crime hotspots or crime magnets in the planning officer's report.

When chairman Councillor Keiran Casey told the committee that letters had been sent out to 35 homes on the proposal, residents in the public gallery demanded to know where they were sent.

One branded the application an 'absolute disgrace' after the decision was made.

After the meeting, Raj Gupta, of Himley Road, said: "We heard nothing about this until it was in the newspaper.

"We quickly tried to speak to as many residents as we could to try and drum up support to show the council how we feel about this.

"We feel very upset that we weren't properly told. There are a lot of children in the area, elderly and other vulnerable people. We are concerned about security.

"We don't know who would be moving in but you would expect people who have drug problems and that kind of thing could be."

Jim Taylor, who also lives in Himley Road, said: "If it goes ahead it's likely to drive down house prices, you'd expect crime to go up and there's the issues around parking as well."

At the meeting, Councillor Bryan Cotterill said: "If the community are saying no, we should listen to them."

This received a round of applause from the public area.

Councillor Asif Ahmed said: "It says something when 35 letters were sent out but 37 people have written to oppose this already.

"I don't think that 16 car parking spaces will be enough. I don't feel I'll be able to approve this until I've been for a site visit."

Councillor Casey said: "I understand all your concerns, but we have to approve this on the basis of whether the application is lawful or unlawful. The best thing to do is arrange a site visit to review the parking situation."