Teen village for Hailsham?

TEENAGERS in need of somewhere to socialise could soon be settling into their very own unsupervised meeting place in the corner of the Maurice Thornton Playing Field in Hailsham.

Plans for a 'teenage village consisting of five small timber-built shelters, a basketball hoop and a five-a-side football goal have been drawn up and submitted for council approval on behalf of the Hailsham East Community Partnership (HECP).

It is proposed that the development be put in the south east corner of the recreation ground in Marshfoot Lane and is intended to give young people 'a place of their own that they can maintain and enjoy without adult influences.

'The project s motto is "From the Playground to the Pub", said Alan Smith, a member of the co-ordination team that made and submitted the designs for the teenage village. 'It was an initiative given to us from Sussex Police to help reduce youth crime in the town.

'The structures are like a cross between summer houses and bus shelters. If the users sprayed them with graffiti, as long as it s not offensive, it wouldn t matter because they would have complete responsibility for the shelters.

It has been estimated that the teenage village, which is an idea that has been piloted in other parts of the country to great success, would cost in the region of 15,000 20,000.

'There is otherwise very little for teenagers to do in Hailsham, said Carolyn Lambert of the HECP. 'The teenage village will make a virtue out of a necessity. It gives young people an area of their own where they can go and which they can look after themselves.

'In this way it will reduce crime in other areas of Hailsham.

However, Carolyn was quick to point out that it would take time and effort for the project to find its feet. 'It s not a magic wand that will solve all our youth problems, she said. 'But it has been shown to work in other parts of the country.

When Hailsham town councillors saw the finished plans at a meeting last week, they expressed reservations about the positioning and size of the 'village .

'We will soon receive a petition from residents of Marshfoot Lane, said Cllr Nick Ellwood. 'The avenue of trees planted recently on the playing field are thriving, but eight of them would have to be removed to make way for the development.

'If they want to put it there, it will have to be slimmed down. I m in no way against the teenage village itself, but I don t like the way we ve had the plans forced upon us by Wealden. This council holds the lease to the land, and as yet we have only agreed in principle to the proposals.

Cllr Ian Haffenden added: 'It s quite excessive in terms of size.