A DRUG and alcohol centre moving to the former Grosvenor Bakery would regenerate the empty building, a meeting heard last week.
Dozens of members of the public attended the December meeting of Llandrindod Town Council, which heard from the chief executive of Kaleidoscope (formerly Powys Drugs and Alcohol), Martin Blakebrough.
He was joined by the regional manager of Kaleidoscope, James Varty, and team leader in Llandrindod, Sarah Baker.
Martin, who is also a Baptist minister and Monmouthshire town councillor, explained that Kaleidoscope currently occupies a building on Ithon Road.
“The service has been there for many years but it is not providing a positive environment for people to come and get help,” he said.
Alcohol abuse is the main problem in this area, rather than drugs, Martin said.
“We’ve been looking for a positive place to accommodate this project. That’s hard to do in Llandrindod, to find an imaginative place.
“We have regenerated other buildings in South Wales and reduced anti-social behaviour in those areas.”
Grosvenor Bakery is in a dilapidated state and has not been used for some time, he added.
“Can we regenerate it? We believe that with Welsh Government money we can do that and make it a building the community can be proud of. It could really benefit this community,” he added.
The organisation has only just bought the premises, he said, through regional manager James Varty who purchased the property himself and will sell it on to Kaleidoscope based on forthcoming government funding.
“Often people panic about people with alcohol issues, as if they didn’t already exist,” Martin said. “We will only service the people from here, who we are currently treating in inferior buildings.”
Regional manager James Varty stressed that the proposal was not new but would replace existing services currently housed on Ithon Road.
“The building we have at present is damp and grey looking, not conducive to any positive change,” he said. “Grosvenor Bakery is a beautiful building. We want something for the future and to get established with a very positive premises.”
Councillor Gary Price said there were 73 clients using Kaleidoscope and queried how many of them could be classed as local. He described the bakery as “the gateway to Llandrindod” and said a lot of people would see it, adding he would rather it was kept for a retail business.
“33 per cent of people drink more than they should,” Martin said.
“We have a responsibility to do something about it. I don’t want people to hide that they’ve got a problem. But the idea is not to blast the words ‘drug and alcohol’ across the front of the building,” he added.
Team leader Sarah Baker said they treat people regardless of their background but all 73 clients are from Llandrindod.
Cllr Mike Hodges said there was an off-licence near to the former bakery and that this was a worry. James Varty said Kaleidoscope could in some way help to police the people who used the service.
Martin Blakebrough stressed they would not be dispensing methadone from the Centre.