Residents' anger at plans for Burnley care home for 'problem teenagers'

7:00am Wednesday 18th January 2012 in Town centre Photograph of the Author By Peter Magill, Chief reporter

A CAMPAIGN has been launched by residents looking to block plans to turn an historic Burnley hotel into a private care for teenagers with behavioural problems.

Neighbours of Dr Saleem Khan’s venture, at the former Alexander Hotel, in Leven Street, say there has been no consultation over the controversial transformation.

And residents attending a packed public meeting, at Burnley Wood’s Terracefield Centre, have resolved to fight the Cheshire-based doctor every inch of the way.

Dr Khan wants to look after seven to eight children aged between 13 and 18 at the converted hotel.

But people living nearby have raised serious concerns about the extent of the problems faced by the potential clients and have collected a 150-signature petition.

Dawn Turner, of Todmorden Road, said: “As far as we are aware it will change from being a hotel to house those with mental and behavioural problems.

“They say children but it is really young adults from the age of 13 to 18 and a lot of people are concerned.”

Residents are particualrly concerned about the access to the premises, for the 15 staff proposed along an unadopted roads.

And the future of tenancies for the three cottages, within the hotel grounds and currently privately-rented, remains unclear.

Coun Karen Heseltine said: “If he wants to open something like this then why does he not open one in Cheshire, instead of coming to Burnley?”

Coun Jeff Sumner told the meeting that he would organise a petition and seek a meeting with Dr Khan over neighbours’ concerns.

The premises closed as a hotel in 2009 and was briefly relaunched as Fiery Jacks, an American-style diner. It has also briefly been home to Embrace, an international exchange company. The objections must be lodged by January 24.

Comments(11)

mavrick says...
7:28am Wed 18 Jan 12

Get your M.P Involved, but i think this is a lost cause already.

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jawdropper says...
8:35am Wed 18 Jan 12

Here come the NIMBYs...

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gutterpress says...
8:42am Wed 18 Jan 12

Here come the "jawdropper" type morons who live nowhere near these proposed establishments, yet see fit to impose their "holier than thou" attitudes on people who will have to put up with all the trouble these teenagers invariably cause, and all in the cause of money, not philanthropism.

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jawdropper says...
9:49am Wed 18 Jan 12

I live not too far away actually, but hey, don't let facts get in the way of your flaccid ranting.

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Montenegro says...
10:18am Wed 18 Jan 12

The headline says it all "PROBLEM TEENAGERS" They are a problem, they will cause problems and they will always be a problem. By the way YOU Burnley people will pay for their rent, their community tax, their care, their damage, their theft. their everything. Dr Saleem Khan will make millions from this venture and you the tax payer will pay.

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midas says...
11:35am Wed 18 Jan 12

How will the Burnley people be paying anymore than other people in Lancashire? Its county Council money not local council.
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Would a headline saying "TEENAGERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS" be more acceptable to you?
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Perhaps its not in Cheshire because the children will be from Lancashire and Social Services don't do out of County placements? or the fact that a building of this size in Cheshire will probably cost 5 times as much?
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I see residents are already raising the "traffic" issue defence!

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Your ferret stinks says...
1:09pm Wed 18 Jan 12

So we've seen the nursing homes come and go and we've seen the very few get very rich whilst pretending to be a caring person within the community when they never went anywhere near the place and if they did then they should have been jailed for allowing what went on in these 'caring places' and it not being about money..well b0ll0cks because it's all about money and the fact you can get more bums on beds pays handsomely regardless of their needs.

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TurnArround says...
3:31pm Wed 18 Jan 12

Why doesn't mr khan open up the special needs surcure unit at burnley general hospital?.they is plenty of room they with wards being shut..is it because it will then be NHS instead of being money making from the private sectar.?. If we really have a need for this in burnley then wouldn't that be the better option instead of the quiet area mr khan wants to put it in..no because it is a money making business plan and not really for the concern of these children.

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golazzo says...
6:25pm Fri 20 Jan 12

L.E.T grow some balls. i made factual comments and they were removed, whats the bloody point of being able to comment

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enki jr says...
8:05pm Fri 20 Jan 12

most problematic children turn out ok
after a few traditional good hidings, this is what every decent father would do regardless of whether it pains him.. this doctor is a penny pinching parasite, psychology is quackery ...

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brok says...
11:01pm Fri 20 Jan 12

People who are potentially dangerous are normally housed in far different establishments than the one proposed.
It is unfortunate that the NHS is unable to make provision for teenagers with emotional and mental issues. The NHS, underfunded from its very beginnings, cannot cope. The all singing, all dancing, free at the point of delivery Health Service has always been largely a myth.
This country has followed the international trend in welfare provision and NGO's (non-government organisations) and the private sector will be seen increasingly to fill the gap left by the incapacity of government to make any provision. We have seen it in the formation of agencies providing prison escort duties, local council tax collection on ad infinitum.
I have worked in places giving this sort of provision. Some of the kids are pretty wound up and unable to cope with whatever life has thrown at them.
Some may be victims of abuse, physical, mental or sexual. Others may be depressive, some may even have substance dependence problems. Whether Dr Khan is setting out to make a fortune or not, I don't know and I have no axe to either anyway.
My suggestion, for what it is worth, would be for a few residents to ask if they can visit similar establishment to spend some time with these kids, heaven knows many of them would give an 'arm and a leg' for a non-professional visitor, because loneliness and a low sense of self worth are daily attendant upon these kids. Then, if they feel that their first thoughts were right, at least they have made an honest effort to find out for themselves and any thoughts they may take to a meeting will be based on fact and not heresay or blind prejudice.

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