Fears over new hostel

A man who says his life has been made a misery by a Stafford hostel has demanded to know why the town needs another.

Simon Davies says he and his neighbours have had to put up with constant noise, disorder and intimidation from residents of Lichfield House on Lovatt Street.

Mr Davies says he can list a string of incidents linked to the flat complex for the homeless, stretching back to its opening 15 years ago. Along with acts of vandalism and anti-social behaviour, he says they include someone in the hostel allegedly firing an air rifle out of a window at surrounding homes.

The claimed air gun attack prompted Mr Davies to set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme three years ago. Now, with Stafford's new Eagle building set to open on Newport Road in 10 months' time, Mr Davies wants answers over the future of Lichfield House, which is managed by Midland Heart – the same company due to take on the Eagle.

The 42-year-old wants to know why the facility can't be closed down when the new Eagle project building opens. Lichfield House provides around 24 beds and the three-storey Eagle will provide 32.

Mr Davies, who declined to have his picture taken for fear of reprisals, says he can't understand why Stafford needs one hostel, let alone two. He pointed to a previous survey of homelessness in Stafford which found just one person sleeping rough over a month.

The sound engineer told the Express & Star: "With the Eagle we're going to get a total of 56 homeless places, which I think is outrageous."

Mr Davies said the lives of dozens of families living on Rowley Street, Marsh Street and Lovatt Street are all blighted by the hostel and as recently as this week, he discovered needles and drug-taking paraphernalia in the nearby Lloyd's Island underpass.

Mr Davies said the police and environmental health had investigated complaints in the past but as many hostel residents only stayed for a matter of months, they usually move on before any legal action can take place. Police were called after the air gun incident but arrived some time later and failed to find a weapon.

The Express & Star put Mr Davies' concerns to Midland Heart, which manages Lichfield House and will be running the Eagle hostel. Raj Shroff, head of supported housing with the housing firm, said the two hostels were completely separate concerns and said: "With the exception of one incident we have not been notified of any complaints regarding Lichfield House this year and we regret that there appears to be a minority view that this is not the case."