Addicts housing scheme cut back

Penwith Council admitted it made a mistake with the scheme

A controversial scheme to house recovering drug and alcohol addicts in a Cornish town is being cut back.

Three of the five houses in Lannoweth Road, Penzance, will no longer be used by Penwith District Council after protests from local people.

They complained about excessive noise, drunkenness and drug use in the surrounding streets.

Now the council, which leases the properties, is to turn three of the houses into family accommodation.

We did not exactly help matters Barry Turnbull, Penwith District Council

One resident, Dave Trevithick, told BBC News: "We have had excessive noise on Friday and Saturday nights, drunkenness, speculation about the taking of illegal drugs in the street and in the lanes behind the street.

"It was very worrying. One person found needles and syringes in his front garden."

Penwith District Council's project was aimed at helping homeless people rebuild their lives.

They were moved out of temporary bed and breakfast accommodation into houses managed by a private company, PAS.

We need to bring more families back Angie Hewish, local resident

But Penwith's acting housing manager, Barry Turnbull, admitted it went wrong.

He said: "Given the high number of bedsits already in the area, adding to that was a mistake.

"Some of those elements will have come from the private sector, but we did not exactly help matters."

Under the new Renaissance project, private landlords will be offered £75,000 loans to convert bedsits into two-bedroom apartments for families.

Local resident, Angie Hewish, said it was a step in the right direction.

She said: "We have too many residences that are multiple occupancy with too many chaotic individuals living in one area.

"If there were apartments for young families that would increase the diversity and we need to bring more families back."