PLANS to build a two-storey block of six flats on land at the end of West Avenue have set alarm bells ringing at the neighbouring Sandycroft Centre.
The award-winning centre supports some of the most vulnerable people in society and in the last four years alone has dealt with more than 1,000 referrals from local family doctors.
Now manager Lee Mackenzie fears that first the construction and the the reality of six flats on their doorstep will have a negative effect on the people they are trying to help.
“They want to build six flats on a tiny piece of land that will be just a metre away from Sandycroft,” said Lee.
“How can I do crisis management with people living a metre away?
“How am I going to help people when next door the window is wide open and the radio is blasting away?”
Another concern is parking – each flat will have one parking space but there will only be two spaces for visitors.
“Where are they going to go? We have Terryspring Court across the road, there will be no room,” said Lee.
“We would legally contest the planning application as over-development and unfair.
“We are an asset to Redditch with 30 years of excellent and committed work within the community and this would be a travesty if it was the cause of our demise.”
The land in question has been the subject of numerous planning applications in the past, including for a three bedroom house but for the past five years nothing has happened.
More than 30 consultants work at Sandycroft Centre helping victims of domestic abuse, people with mental health and other issues and with rehabilitation.
Earlier this year Sandycroft clinched a Thrive Mental Health Commission Awards 2019.
