'Allotment wreckers are tarnishing Sunbury'

Oct 14 2009 By Adam Courtney

Groveley Road allotments in Sunbury

YOBS who constantly wreck allotments in Groveley Road sum up all that is wrong with the area, say disheartened residents.

They are calling for a programme of regeneration because they say disused facilities and a failing youth centre are contributing to a general malaise which does nothing to dissuade teenagers from causing trouble.

Police are increasing their patrols in and around the allotments, but residents think investment is the only option because they claim: Old changing rooms at Groveley Recreation Ground are rotting and being used for deadly games by teenagers, the youth centre in Bryony Way is hardly open, there are too many off licences in the area, and gangs are hanging around intimidating people.

Brian Jones, who has lived in the road for over 30 years, said: "I have no idea why the changing rooms are still there. They are locked up and are rotting inside, you can even here a tap running. And one day someone is going to get badly hurt because kids climb up to the roof and jump off. I've seen a couple of near misses.

"There are about five off licences within a mile of each other and you are just getting gangs of people hanging around drinking. It's almost unrecognisable from years ago."

Shopkeeper Dhiren Patel, who runs Parrot's News, said: "I say to the kids outside my store, 'Why don't you go and play sport or something?' but they just shrug.

"The parents have no idea what they are doing and the youth club is no good. Even if it was open all the time and improved, they'd probably just burn it down."

A spokesman for Spelthorne Council said the authority is making arrangements to raise the fencing surrounding the allotments, having already changed the main gate lock and secured the rear gate with a weld.

A Surrey County Council spokesman explained the youth centre, which is only open once a week for "school project work" is aimed at "targeted groups", for example vulnerable teenagers, and not to youths in general.

She added the authority hopes to open it for one additional day per week in the future.