A planning application has been made for a change of use, by Artemis Support Limited for the property known as 146 Bede Burn Road, Jarrow (former B&B) into a home for boys aged 5-17 years of age with emotional needs and mild learning disabilities (planning application reference ST/0724/18/FUL). 

The description provided covers a huge range, and provides complete flexibility for the company when providing the various types of underage care. The variety of issues include children (from 5 years old), to young men (to 17 years old), ranging from being orphaned to being drug users with sexual behavioural issues.

There is reason to believe (based on former employees and information publicly available from their other homes) that the company which has made the application targets the older high risk category of young men who are not from the area as they are the most financially rewarding.

This would have a significant impact on the quality of life of local residents, which range from elderly vulnerable residents, to the young children who play in the back lanes of these traditional terraced properties.

Local facilities which include an elderly care facility for people with disabilities (20 metres away), a nursery (170 metres away), a recreational facility for children (20 metres way), a school, and a swimming pool, are also likely to be heavily impacted.

We firmly believe this is the wrong property in wrong location for these young adults to be rehabilitated and counselled to give them a chance of a better life. The property has no external space, and has limited flexibility internally. The location is on the end of a terrace with busy roads on two sides, and  adjoining property and a back lane to the other sides. There is also a completely inadequate parking provision, with 3 parking spaces to cover 11 full time employees, and 6 part time.

The publicly available Ofstead report for the Artemis Group which is for Whorton Hall states “the children have a history of harmful behaviour, problems with sexualised behaviour, and a number of the young people have previously taken drugs, drank alcohol or smoked”.

Extracts from the only report available in the Company’s name on the Quality Care Commission website states: “Not all aspects of the service are well led. Care records were not always accurate and contemporaneous. Support plans were brief and risks assessments were generic.  Audit and checks of records had not highlighted the issues we identified during the inspection. The registered manager had not identified the shortfalls we highlighted in risk assessment documentation such as generic assessments as the omission of individual risks assessments of peoples specific needs“

The location for the Fairways home which the company operates, currently has the 7th most criminal offences in the whole of Gateshead (latest available crime statistics, June 2018). It also has the 4th highest number of violence and sexual offences in Gateshead.

Mr Charles Tosan, the project manager for this scheme for Artemis Support Limited, confirmed that the company during all of his time working with them, has never taken a person from the local area, and brings in young adults from across the country.

This petition is to object to the current planning proposal.