We have just heard that the Addaction application which was scheduled for Monday the 28th Septembers planning meeting has been cancelled.

I believe that the siting of this drug treatment centre on Whitegate Drive in the middle of a thriving residential and shopping community is wholly inappropriate. Furthermore, if the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, the aim of which as its name implies is to promote the sustainability of local communities, is to have any meaning this simply cannot be allowed to go ahead.

I know that a lot of people were interested in attending this meeting so I am trying to let as many of you know as possible so that you don’t have a wasted journey. In order to get the message out please forward this to your friends who may be interested in this matter also.

There appears to be some confusion regarding when the above application will be reported to the Council’s Development Control Committee. They had initially targeted the Committee on 28 September 2009 but are now looking to report the application to the Committee on 19 October 2009. To further confuse matters the applicant has suggested that the application may be withdrawn.

Perhaps more importantly the appeal in relation to the first application (09/0296) is, however, still proceeding and is currently under appeal to the Secretary of State and is with the Planning Inspectorate This is something we need to address to which end I have made enquiries about representation and in particular the Inspectorates visit to the site.

At a public meeting this week, Wendy Swift, Chief Executive of NHS Blackpool told us that here in Blackpool we spend £2.8 million a year on drug treatment, that 1650 drug users go through the programmes each year and that 1400 are currently undergoing treatment. Sadly only 160 have exited the programme drug free and it makes me wonder how big the problem is here in Blackpool. If 1650 go though the programme there must conservatively be at least as many again who do not choose to engage which means over 3200 hard drug users or over 2% of the total population of Blackpool.

Out of interest I have copied below an article from this week's Sunday Times where Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Justice, making reference to addicts and drug users, is quoted thus: "stamping out the crime and disorder they inflict on the community." Admitting this happens (which we all know anyway) makes nonsense of the argument for siting these places in a good community.

I hope this is not just another example of a sound byte and spin and would like your view as to whether you approve of the idea of Heroin on the NHS and you can take our survey.

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