FURTHER to the concerns expressed by Keith Chapman, of the Nunnery Area Residents' Association, regarding the proposal that the Arc Light Centre may be situated in Nunnery Lane car park (Letters, March 14).
I think his fears are quite unfounded. Does Mr Chapman think that the guests who use Arc Light will be hovering round the local schools waiting to press gang the children like some latter-day Fagins, or that any vulnerable adolescent who would want to find a supply of drugs could not be ensnared by some seemingly respectable looking individual?
Sadly drugs and petty crime are a fact of life and should not be laid at the door of an easy target.
One of the sites originally considered was the former carriageworks, not a stone's throw from where I live and I for one would not have objected. The current centre, in Leeman Road, is woefully inadequate to meet the challenges of the guests present.
The people at Arc Light need support and understanding of their plight - some will have made ill-judged choices; I wish I could say that I never had. They should be given the opportunity to turn a different corner.
Arc Light offers a secure, structured environment where guests are offered another chance - they do not present a threat to any community.
Anne Wood,
Hamilton Way,
York.
Updated: 10:36 Friday, March 17, 2006
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