Whilst not against Criminal rehabilitation in any way, surely local councils, authorities and residents should be consulted before charities purchase houses and fill them with ex criminals associated with serious crime. Apparently this is not the case, Charities like Langley House Trust can and could purchase the house next door to you, fill it with rehabilitating criminals without having to tell you anything. You only find out when the trouble starts and by then, its too late.    This doesn't just affect us residents of Fleetwood, but could affect any town that is seen to be in a "deprived" area. This is whats happening in our town. It has been brought to our attention that Langley House Trust, a trust who house criminals released from prison on license, has acquired a property on Milton Street, Fleetwood, Lancashire and is in the final stages of its development. In the coming weeks, an unconfirmed number of ex prisoners, not necessarily from our area, will be housed on Milton Street. Langley House Trust accommodates and supports a variety of offenders with mixed backgrounds of offending, including those who have been convicted of sex offences. These ex prisoners may of served a life sentence for serious crime and are now released on licence.  It is unconfirmed what type of crimes the future residents on Milton St. have been convicted with, but with being relocated into one of these homes, it would be correct to assume that they have committed a serious crime in the past. The property on Milton Street is far from suitable to be used as a rehabilitation property due to the nature of the building (mid terrace), in close vicinity to Chaucer county primary school [less than 15 doors away] and St Marys primary school, also it is near  to a sheltered accommodation for mentally disabled adults run by MENCAP, and down the road from a community youth club “The Zone” ,all in a area with young families and elderly people.  With the Police force already stretched, this is also is a concern. It will seriously affect your property value and increase both car and home insurance premiums if the crime rate increases. What is VERY concerning is that Langley House Trust needs no planning permission, no consent from local authorities or councils. They will take advantage of Fleetwood’s cheap house prices, and they will develop further properties, and YOU the local resident will have no idea until they have moved in ex (and we say ex very lightly) criminals. Before you know it, you COULD have a convicted criminal living next door to you, who knows. Every time a house near you goes up for sale, it is a potential target for Langley House Trust.    There must me legislation and procedures put in place to stop charities like Langley House Trust opening Half-way houses without consulting the council and local residents. We have to put a stop to things proceeding on Milton Street as a priority. If it opens we all need to have it closed. We also need to oppose any further developments coming to Fleetwood again and demand change in legislation to prevent Langley House Trust’s purchasing property and using that property to house rehabilitating criminals without consent from the local council.  This issue affects not just residents of Fleetwood, but all towns and villages across the uk. Towns that are classed as "deprived" are at risk from charities like Langley House Trust taking advantage of cheap house prices. With this in mind our deprived towns will never be able to re-grow and prosper when we have a large quantity of these properties in our neighbourhoods.   We will present this petition to CATHERINE SMITH MP of Lancaster and Fleetwood, and see if she can raise our concerns in the House Of Commons as matter of urgency for the residents of Fleetwood Town. With her support and in fluence she could make a difference, and campaign for change in legislation, to stop Charities from opening homes without consent from local councils, authorities and residents of the town. HOWEVER although she supports criminal rehabilitation, which we all should to. But we do not know if she is aware of how Langley house trust select properties without involving the council.  We will also approach Tracy Wild CEO of Langley House Trust with this petition, and ask her directly to reconsider this property. If she doesn't, all it does is prove that the trust have no consideration or compassion for the residents they will affect.

Fleetwood has 4 properties like this in the town, and Fleetwood is the only area within Wyre that has these homes. What is concerning is the concentration of rehabilitating criminals living in close proximity to each other. We feel that Fleetwood as a whole would benifit greatly if no more of these properies open in the town, and more consideration are given to local residents.