Opposition to offender centre
A PLAN to use a hotel to house female offenders has been met with hostility from residents and local politicians.
Ally Barr, who lives near one of the potential sites, the Atlantic Hotel in Porthcawl, said: “It’s a great idea but in a terrible location.”
A PLAN to use a hotel to house female offenders has been met with hostility from residents and local politicians.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) wants to open a residential shelter in Wales to help women convicted of low-level crime.
The MoJ has shortlisted five locations in Wales for the centre, including the Atlantic Hotel in Porthcawl, the Sunnyside development in Bridgend, and Willow House in Newport.
Ally Barr, who lives near the Atlantic Hotel, said: “I’m not against these kind of places, it’s an absolute necessity, but using a three-star hotel on the seafront in a lovely little quaint seaside town is just beyond belief really.
“I’m greatly concerned about the effect it will have on elderly residents and people that are quite vulnerable.
“It will massively affect business in the town and property prices. It’s a great idea but in a terrible location.”
Celia Butler, who also lives in Porthcawl and owns a holiday let in the area, said the plans are “inappropriate and insensitive”.
“Ultimately taxpayers fund this provision. There are millions of law-abiding, working taxpayers who just about make ends meet month on month.
“They consider themselves lucky if they manage to scrape together enough money to afford a week in a caravan or camping during the summer and could never imagine affording the Atlantic Hotel or any other prime-position seafront accommodation.
“How can it be fair or just for offenders to be housed in such prime accommodation, paid for by the taxpayer, regardless of all the other issues? It would be highly unjust and ill-considered if this location was selected.
“Bridgend county is already making more than its fair share of provision for offenders. The Welsh Government and MoJ should be looking to spread the load much more fairly.”
The centre will be the first of its kind, housing up to 12 local women and offering services aimed at preventing them from reoffending. It will also offer support for domestic abuse and mental health issues and assist women who have left the centre and are settling into new homes.
There are currently no female prisons in Wales and so Welsh prisoners are moved to England.
According to the MoJ, the women will have to attend the new centre as part of their sentences and must engage in rehabilitative support. The service is designed to help women improve their lives while staying close to their children and families.
The building will also be staffed by the National Probation Service at all times, with a no-drugsor-alcohol policy and a zero-tolerance approach to violence.
MP for Bridgend Jamie Wallis said: “It’s very clear that people in Bridgend and Porthcawl don’t feel that these sites are appropriate.
“The bus routes in Porthcawl aren’t designed for this – and there’s no train station.”
The Conservative MP added: “We already do a lot for UK justice – we’ve got Parc Prison, the young offender institution, mental health facilities, the Dyfodol centre.
“There’s a general feeling that with these facilities they’re put there and then almost forgotten about.
“I think it would affect the quality of life for a lot of people in the nearby vicinity.”
Bridgend council has also opposed the plans, claiming it understands the need for such services but the county borough is already home to a prison and Wales’ only youth offending institution and so the facility would be a further strain on council resources.