Anger over HMO plan for ex-Walsall care home where drug factory was found
Worried residents fear plans to convert a disused Walsall care home where a huge cannabis factory was discovered into a HMO will create problems in their street.
Walsall Council’s planning committee is set to decide on a proposal by Ayyaz Ahmed to create a 37-bedroom house of multiple occupation in Slaney Road, Pleck.
Mr Ahmed said the facility will be run by Midshire Supporting Housing Trust to help homeless people and those with mental health issues such as anxiety, with staff being on site.
But people living in and around Slaney Road said they fear it will have a severe impact on noise, parking and increase in crime, adding there were too many HMOs in the area.
They also said the property was raided by police who discovered a £6.5 million cannabis farm – with 6,000 plants across 40 rooms – in May last year.
Residents said there have been two applications for the site in the past with one being refused and the other being withdrawn.
Planning officers were recommending refusal ahead of the committee meeting that was set to take place on Thursday.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mohammed Younis said: “We’ve got a lot of HMOs in Slaney Road and Bescot Road. We have at least eight already.
“This is probably the biggest one. We don’t want this in a small street next to the park to be converted. They are pursuing it and want to go ahead with it but we are strongly against it.
“With that many HMOs in the area, another would make it hell for people as there is a lot of trouble with HMOs around here.”
Labour member and Pleck resident Simran Cheema: “They haven’t taken account of the location.
“Slaney Road is a quiet residential area and a lot of people are worried about noise, crime, anti-social behaviour and with police services stretched, it would pressure on them as well if there were issues.
“There have been previous issues with parking on the street. The plans are for a 37-bed HMO, so where are those people going to put their cars?”
Resident Shakil Younis added: “There are a lot of problems here and people are very concerned about it.
“If it is going to be a HMO, how is it going to be managed? Look at the state of it. There is no parking, it will be a strain on the highway here.”
Shokt Fazal said: “We welcomed the GRT site so we are accommodating. But it has got to be in sympathy with everything.
“We can’t be seen to be the dumping ground for other people’s problems. A lack of policing, lack of support such as doctors' services. What these people require are not here.
“It all contributes to a poor quality of life for residents and for vulnerable people coming in.”
In their submitted plans, the applicants said they were mitigating against potential issues residents might be worried about.
They said staff would be onsite 24-hours a day, providing support and care for the people who would be referred there.
CCTV would be installed while they said they would also work with police and neighbourhood watch teams to tackle incidents, while residents would be subject to an agreed code of conduct.
The building would have soundproofed, double-glazed windows and staff would ensure there was no loitering outside.
Mr Ahmed added the vulnerable residents do not normally have cars and would not cause an increase in parking issues.
He said: “We have already had discussions with referral agencies in Walsall and they have verbally agreed they would be referring to us and that there is an urgent need for supported housing provision in the area.”
