PETERSFIELD town councillors failed to ratify recommendations for two youth shelters in the town, prompting further debate on the long- running saga. Both Love Lane and The Heath are the preferred locations for meeting points for older teenagers in the town, yet with debate already rumbling for 18 months, it looks set to continue. Speaking outside the meeting, town councillor Chris Jenner expressed his concerns. "I'm not keen on them," he said. "The anti-social behaviour working party have been looking into this for 18 months, and I'm alarmed at the lack of thought that has gone into the recommendation. "The driving force behind these youth shelters is a need by the police to reduce crime, or more specifically to reduce the reporting of statistics. "If we send kids down to The Heath, there are not going to be as many reported crimes. It pushes it elsewhere, and they will not be reported. "I think it is better dealt with by police in town, and not by moving anti-social behaviour somewhere it isn't going to be seen. "I'm probably the only councillor that spends time on the heath and even now teenagers do cause trouble, using foul and abusive language. "Police say not to put youth shelters amongst play equipment, especially that for young children, and it could be intimidating for young children if teenagers hanging around. The two groups just don't mix," he added. Hilary Ayer, chairman of the town council's anti- social behaviour working party, said: "We don't provide an awful lot for younger teens, and as soon as youth shelters are mentioned, people assume they are going to used by people who are going to be a nuisance. We are trying to provide them for decent young people to chill out with their friends. "There is a lot of negative press on youth shelters, but we are told they work best when they are close to something for young people to do. My idea is not to only have youth shelters, but something like a climbing wall." Referring to a "wide consultation", involving the Friends of the Heath, Petersfield and District Angling Club, locals living near the Heath and every 10th household in the town, Mrs Ayer told how sites on The Heath and at Love Lane were the most popular locations. "If the town councillors say we don't want it on The Heath, then councillors have got to start thinking again. It's not our heath – it's their heath. But it could be a battle. "If it does get councillors' approval, we will ask the police and youth services to look at the areas and see where it is best to put them. "We want young people to feel safe, and also want the police to be able to monitor the youth shelters, so that we don't get the wrong people using it. "We are concerned with the safety of the decent young people who we want to use it, and to keep those horrible people away from it, as we don't want it to be a place where people take drugs and drink," she said. Discussion is set for next month's full council meeting on March 3, and should recommendations be approved, it will take further consultation to decide upon the exact location of the youth shelters. Deputy mayor Vaughan Clarke remarked: "I'm sure it will all come to one big, busy public meeting, which would be lovely."
