Council working with Worthing Churches Homeless Projects to resolve problems

The problems encountered in connection with the temporary shelter for the homeless at Lyndhurst Road resurfaced at a meeting of the East Worthing Community Panel on July 31.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Worthing Churches Homeless Project (WCHP) was severely criticised over the administration of the shelter, notably over the staffing model, with only two persons deployed per shift.

Residents are permitted to take alcohol indoors and incidents of drug dealing had been seen at the shelter.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Crime in Selden Ward, including burglaries, had increased by 9.3 per cent in the last three months with prisoners being taken on release, conditional on their having connections with Worthing.

Tim DrewTim Drew
Tim Drew

---

---

The police do carry out ad-hoc visits to the shelter, but residents were asked to report non-urgent incidents online, supported where possible with evidence, because the police rely on this to enable them to decide as how to allocate their resources.

Councillor Keith Bickers explained there were more homeless people than ever before, and Worthing Borough Council is under a statutory duty of care to provide accommodation for them.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The council is working with WCHP and the Safer Communities Partnership to resolve matters and the model is to be stress-tested, with data to be released when available. Planning applications are available to view on the Adur and Worthing councils website.

The price of drugs has fallen by up to two-thirds in the past ten years and vulnerable people are being targeted.

Homefield Park is now recognised as a drug dealing area which is frequented by ‘county lines’ and incidents have also been reported in Beach House Park.

Where instances of anti-social behaviour are seen, the offenders will be spoken to if it is safe so to do, but the 999 number should always be used when a crime is happening.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Tarring Community Forum meets at 7pm on Tuesday at the West Worthing Baptist Church Centre, South Street, Tarring.

• For more information about the Worthing & Adur Neighbourhood Watch Associations click here.

---

Benefit from an ongoing discount on your Herald by joining our voucher membership scheme. Once you’ve subscribed we’ll send you dated vouchers which can be exchanged for your paper at any news outlet. To save money on your Herald simply click here.

Related topics: