Ex-offenders bid halted as site is set for auction
PLANS to house ex-offenders in a Llanelli street have been pulled after the building was put up for auction.
Charity Caer Las, which aims to tackle social exclusion, had hoped to buy the former Moose Hall on Old Castle Road and turn it into a home for six ex-offenders.
Residents in the area were strongly opposed to the proposals, and held a public meeting last month to voice their concerns.
But yesterday Caer Las confirmed it was no longer looking to purchase the building after the owners put it up for auction.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
Head of operations Gerry Allin said the organisation was not allowed to buy the property through an auction due to charity commission rules.
But secretary of the residents' action committee Christine Clarke said the group would not stop fighting the plans until they were sure they were not going ahead.
She said: "It's a nice thought to think it is all over, but we are going to watch this space.
"There's nothing we can do. We are still collecting signatures and we will continue to do so.
"We want to make sure we keep an eye on Caer Las.
"The thought of what they wanted to do was horrendous."
She said the building was set to go up for auction on November 29.
"I know the housing for ex-offenders has to go somewhere and these people have to have a chance," she said. "We don't have a good feeling about this."
Elli councillor John Jenkins also said residents were waiting to see what would happen at the auction.
"It is fantastic news, but lots of things don't get sold, so Caer Las could still end up getting it," he said.
"We are hoping someone nice buys it.
"I would hope the owner has seen the residents' response."
Comments
by CAERLAS
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 9:54AM
“In response to this article, I would like make a couple of observations. Firstly, I fully understand and appreciate the position of local residents, whenever a new housing scheme is proposed. It is totally natural to experience anxiety about the unknown. Our wider commitments are to regenerate Welsh communities, not make them worse. Secondly, we are disappointed that this site is no longer available to us. But that is not necessarily good news for the community. The problems we are trying to fix exist already. The local community is already experiencing them. The purpose of this project, and the reason it is a high priority for the local authority, is that everyone recognises the need to make things better in such communities. Ex-offenders are people just like us; this project will help people to turn their lives around, reduce offending and encourage positive citizenship. These project work. So in response to the second to last comment above, yes, lets hope someone 'nice' purchases Moose Hall, for the sake of the local residents, who it seems to me, have enough on their plate already.”