Residents of tiny Dumfries and Galloway village fear 'catastrophic' impact of children's care home
CareTec are aiming to turn a home in Milton near Crocketford into a children's residential care home.
Residents of a tiny village fear a children's care home could have 'catastrophic implications'.
CareTec are aiming to turn a house in Milton near Crocketford into a residential care home.
An application has been lodged with the council for a change of use of the house, with documents showing 'it would become home to and provide residential services for four children'
Locals claim there has been little notification of the proposals, which they believe have 'a potentially significant impact on the village'.
One villager said: 'It was felt that the application form from CareTec was structured in a way that down played the full extent of the change. The facility is presented as prioritising – ie not exclusively – young people aged six to 12 years with mental health challenges, learning disabilities and other vulnerabilities.
'However, only later in the document are these other vulnerabilities explicitly detailed revealing that they include global development delay, autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, ADHD, neglect and trauma related issues.
'ACAD who will be operating the care home not only care for children and young persons with these issues but also those with problematic sexualised behaviour and up to the age of 20 years.
'The delayed clarification raises concerns about the transparency and the true nature of the facility's intended purpose and avoids scrutiny in making it harder for the community to fully assess the proposed changes. Milton is a peaceful and secluded hamlet with the majority of residents being elderly or retired. They have lived there for many years or moved there due to its tranquil setting, therefore a proposal of this change would have catastrophic implications for them.'
The villager added: 'The application focuses on the good transport links and children's amenities, yet the bus from Dumfries runs every two to three hours and is not reliable. There are no amenities or facilities for children in the village and over the years families have moved away due to this fact.
'The proposed site sits on the C1 Old Military road which is governed by a 60mph speed restriction and it has no street lighting or pavements, which could pose a risk to those residents were they to leave the premises.
'Two residents of the village are retired police officers and they are fully aware of the antisocial behaviour, other criminal activities and abscondents attributed to residents of these care homes.
'They have a dramatic adverse effect on those living nearby.'
A spokesman for CareTec said: 'We have a long and proven record of working with local communities in Dumfries and Galloway, where we already have a number of other successful children's homes.
'This home will support young people from Dumfries and Galloway and surrounding areas providing them with valued care and support. As with our other homes we are committed to working with our neighbours to become part of the local community.
'We note that the highways agency support this application and we expect minimal impact on local transport or infrastructure.'
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