A Gateshead charity has won its bid to turn a house into a residential institution, despite anger from local residents who say that anti-social behaviour has blighted the area.
Jigsaw Recovery Project, which helps vulnerable young people leaving local authority care, applied to change the use of a five bedroom, three-storey, house on Old Durham Road to a residential institution.
Members of Gateshead Council's planning committee voted to approve the application in April after hearing the house was already used for that purpose.
Speaking against the plans, Sholto Jenkins, who lives and works in a neighbouring property said the scheme was causing problems in the area.
"It's seriously impacting my business. I have seen drug dealers outside and have been threatened outside my door," he said.
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"Kids regularly smoke out the front and I'm getting no sleep whatsoever because of noise through the night.
"The police are always bringing kids back to the property."
Mr Jenkins claimed that there was no control over the activity of the residents.
He continued: "The kids come and go as they want, there is no control, they have visitors in the middle of the night, sometimes they come for five minutes and dissapear."
This was backed up by Adrian Smith, who owns a local furniture shop.
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He said: "The biggest problem is that there is a lot of anti-social behaviour and you see drug use.
"You constantly see people asking for money and to use the phone, there seems to be no control.
"They come and go as they please and do what they want with no respect for other people.
"People just want to come home and have a peaceful life."
John Bud, services manager, spoke on behalf of the application saying that "robust management" of the property was in place.
He said: "We're currently operating on a HMO license but we have put in a change of use application at the request of the local authority because we need to be more regulated and we'll be inspected by Ofsted.
"Nothing changes in terms of what we're already doing."
Mr Bud also said that Durham Road has a high crime rate and a lot of the issues raised weren't caused by the young people living at the premises.
He continued: "Its incorrect about the bell going at night, and Mr Jenkins can contact me at any time.
"We're transitioning people into becoming fully productive members of society."
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