Offender centre plan scrapped

PROTESTERS who fought plans for a young offenders centre in their neighbourhood said they were satisfied the scheme had now been stopped for good following the intervention of their MP.

People living in Bennetthorpe, Doncaster, were horrified earlier in the summer when they discovered a former school was set to be used for the town’s youth offending service.

Doncaster Council initially said it was moving forward with the plans because the service’s current home, in Balby, was in poor repair.

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But Mayor Peter Davies called a halt to the controversial plans after it emerged neighbours in Bennetthorpe had not been consulted about the scheme, a situation he described as “appalling”.

Now, in a letter seen by the Yorkshire Post, written by Mr Davies to Doncaster Central Labour MP Rosie Winterton, the mayor confirms that all work on the youth offending centre has stopped.

He says: “More attention should have been spent earlier on, working with residents and allaying their fears, and explaining what work the Youth Offending Service does, but the decision has now been taken to not have clients visiting the centre.”

A spokesman for the protest group said: “We think we now have enough documentation in our possession both from the council itself and from the mayor, to rest a little easier.”