HITCHIN: A mysterious £1.2m property deal that has led to a spike in anti-social behaviour in our town centre has taken another twist.

The Grade II listed town centre site of the former Lord Lister Hotel turned into a hostel for former prisoners suffering from drug and alcohol addictions late last year after opaque decision making involving North Herts Council and Keystone Housing.

Further accusations of a lack of transparency have been aimed at North Herts Council today (Tuesday, March 21) following the deal that saw £200,000 of taxpayers money handed to Keystage Housing, without a planning application being lodged in the first instance.

Campaigners say the deal was rushed through without due consultation, in a move that led to former convicts being rehoused in the 19th century building without the relevant planning application being passed - nor with sufficient trained employees to help with their complex needs.

However, following a raft of complaints from a large number of residents, a retrospective planning application was lodged on January 20.

Why did NHC allow former prisoners suffering from complex addictions to be housed in a town centre site before a planning application was passed?

It is extremely unclear why NHC allowed former prisoners - who need constant expert help and supervision - to be housed in a town centre site next to young families as well as the Half Moon pub without a planning application being passed in the first place. (See Hitchin Nub News for more on particular issue later this week).

This led to the controversial paperwork relating to the site on Park Street, a stone's throw to Hitchin Market Place, being 'called in' by councillor Keith Hoskins for scrutiny.

WhAT DOES CALLED-IN MEAN?

Call-in provides a mechanism for councillors to intervene when they feel that a decision being made by the executive needs to be revisited, or changed.

It provides a vital key check and balance in the leader/cabinet system of governance that is extremely important in order for democracy to work properly – a long-stop that, in theory, prevents the exercise of too much power by cabinet, or, for example, a council leader.

120+ OBJECTIONS ALREADY LODGED

With Hitchin MP Bim Afolami telling Nub News that he has received such a large number of complaints relating to a Hitchin issue, no wonder more than 120 detailed objections have already been lodged with NHC from concerned residents, fearful at the rise in anti-social incidents that has seen Herts Police deal with more than 100 callouts since the hostel opened late last year.

The Planning Meeting was set to take place at the end of March, but has now been pushed back to April 20.

NEW TWIST

However, in a new twist, Hitchin residents who would like to make their voice heard by lodging an objection, are now unable to do so, as NHC's website is not allowing people to input further comment - despite the new meeting being nearly six weeks away.

Campaigner and near neighbour of the Lord Lister, Jess Princeton, told Nub News: "The planning meeting has been moved yet we have no way of being able to leave comments on the site, as the link does not work.

"There is so much wrong with everything to do with this council decision, that has left the occupants of the halfway house with no support, and has left the community and neighbours completely demoralised.

"There seems to be many issues that don't take into account the democratic process. It feels like they're manipulating the system to work against residents.

"It's a failure of democracy - this lack of transparency harms us all."

Council leader Elizabeth Harburg-Dennis said: "Keystage Housing's planning application will be determined by the Planning Control Committee in due course. Residents wishing to comment on the application can do so via the official channels up until the meeting."[.I]

Except, alas, if residents try and do it online it seems.

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