The fightback begins
MSP to set up a forum as Cllr brands behaviour unacceptable
ANDREA LAMBROU
The town’s MSP has responded to pressure from Village traders to crack down on crime and disorder linked to Lindsay House.
Amid an ongoing News investigation, and following intense scrutiny from business owners and East Mains Community Council, Linda Fabiani met with the local authority’s housing chief Donald Gray to discuss the under-fire homeless unit.
The MSP is spearheading a monthly forum for residents and traders to air their concerns and this week South Lanarkshire Council confirmed its support. She has now written an open letter to business owners urging them to attend.
Traders told us they are fed up having to police anti-social behaviour themselves. They claim residents from the halfway house are causing mayhem in the historic conservation village; openly boozing, taking and selling drugs, stealing, begging for money and intimidating their customers.
We revealed how police had been called out to the homeless unit over 500 times in the last two years to deal with anti-social behaviour, violence and drug misuse.
And, in the last week, the News has once again witnessed brazen street drinking, loitering and intimidating behaviour as well as police activity.
But, despite the exposure, it appears YPeople bosses are continuing to bury their heads in the sand with complaints to the additional needs support charity falling on deaf ears.
Now the town’s MSP is wading into the debate in a bid to solve this constant nuisance for people living and working in the tight-knit community.
Ms Fabiani told the News: “I had a meeting last week with the council and of course we discussed Lindsay House. Since then I’ve spoken with the community council.
“My view is that there has to be much more regular dialogue amongst all those involved in Lindsay House and local residents and I am happy to facilitate that. I would visualise involvement from the community council, local business representatives, community police, the council and YPeople.
“So, my intention is to get such a forum instigated as soon as possible, and I will be writing to businesses in the Village this week to kick-start this.
“The Village is a tight-knit community, concerns have to be recognised as do the needs of those who are being given assistance at Lindsay House.”
Responding to the MSP’s proposal, East Mains Community Council chairman Bill Arthur said: “We have been inundated with requests from traders for a public meeting – they are really feeling it now.
“The pressure is there to air this issue again and discuss a lot of mistruths by officials from YPeople and South Lanarkshire Council.
“The coverage by the EK News has exposed what we’ve been talking about for years. What’s going on needs to be highlighted so we can get the place moved.
“We hope to have a meeting arranged for some time in October.
“I would encourage members of the public and businesses to log all incidents of anti-social behaviour and report them to the police.”
Area councillors also met with the council’s housing chief to press for action to help restore the Village to its former glory.
Joe Fagan, Labour councillor for EK Central North, said: “All three of the local councillors for the area met with the director of housing and his team to make them aware of the concerns there are in the community and to press for action to reassure the public and keep the Village safe.
“It is simply not acceptable that people who live and work in the Village should feel unsafe there.
“We cannot lay the blame for all the anti-social behaviour in the Village at the door of Lindsay House but we cannot ignore the issues linked to the facility either. That is why we need a rounded, credible action plan for the Village, which the community can have confidence in.”
Housing resources director Daniel Lowe told the News council staff “are supportive of establishing regular meetings”.
YPeople failed to respond.