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Critics
greet decision to scrap needle exchange
Tube station improvements halt
controversial plan for subway loo
A PLAN to open a needle exchange for drug addicts
is in tatters after Town Hall chiefs were forced to withdraw
proposals to open the service in a disused toilet.
The council’s Labour cabinet had supported the plan to
base a syringe swap underneath St Giles Circus in Bloomsbury
despite a rebellion of its own backbenchers and criticism from
residents, businesses, opposition parties, neighbouring Westminster
Council, London Underground and Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank
Dobson.
But Transport for London (TfL) has effectively ended the £200,000
project with a new warning that it will take control of the
subways where the toilet is situated midway through next year
when a full refurbishment is planned.
On Tuesday, the Town Hall and Camden’s Primary Care Trust
conceded that the site was no longer value for money and, after
months of work, abandoned the plans.
Labour councillor Jake Sumner, Camden’s community safety
boss, said: “We did a long trawl of potential sites for
the needle exchange and there were lots of sites that were unsuitable
for different reasons. It has to be near the drug market that
is in Tottenham Court Road.
“University College Hospital is in Euston Road and would
be too far away. We remain committed to signposting people into
treatment.”
Trust chief executive Dr Rob Larkman said: “Unfortunately,
the timing of TfL’s works means this site will no longer
be viable and would not provide value for money because of the
short length of time it could be open.”
Jim Murray, of Bloomsbury Association, said: “We hope this
will be the end of the matter. We do, however, remain concerned
about what the (council’s) Drug Action Team and the Primary
Care Trust will do next.”
He said that residents would support a scheme whereby GPs, pharmacists
and hostels had needle exchanges. The scheme’s collapse
came just a day after Mr Dobson wrote to Dr Larkman and the
council, urging them to axe the project.
Mr Dobson said: “I am a supporter of the idea that people
with a drug habit should be given the alternative of entering
the criminal justice system or seeking treatment for their addiction.
A stand-alone needle exchange does neither.”
He told Dr Larkman: “I understand you are proposing to
spend £200,000 capital preparing and kitting out this
tunnel for its new function and that as many as six members
of staff will be employed, although the anticipated usage is
only 20 people per day. This seems very poor value for money.
“Even if it must be spent on combating addiction, then
I suggest you would do better spending it on helping into treatment
users who live locally, including those in nearby hostels.”
Conservative group leader Councillor Piers Wauchope said: “It
is just a shame that the people in Bloomsbury had to get a democratic
decision from London Underground rather than their Labour council.” |
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