THE decision to keep a halfway house for high risk offenders released from prison in a Basildon estate has made residents furious.

Following the decision from Basildon Council to maintain Felmores Bail Hostel, the residents of the estate said that they are tired of having to adjust their lives to the perceived threat of some its occupants.

Daniel Meads, 30 is bringing up two young children in the estate, where the bail hostel overlooks his back garden.

Mr Meads, who has lived in Felmores for 15 years, accepted the hostel has been in the estate for as long as he has been there.

He said: “I cannot stand the place, it has been here since my family moved to Basildon when I was ten. I cannot take my children out and play near the estate, they cannot play in this area because they can be seen by anyone who lives in there.

“There are schools down the road, an even a nursery nearby but they have not thought to remove it from this area.

“We have written petitions against it and had hundreds of people outside demonstrating against it in years gone by.”

In announcing the hostel will remain in Felmores, Basildon Council leader Andrew Baggott said the council will not be moving the site, unless an “ideal opportunity”

presented itself.

Three years ago, former leader, Phil Turner urged the Ministry of Justice to move the hostel and Labour councillor Gavin Callahan has also campaigned to see the hostel removed from Felmores.

However, the Government told Mr Turner it was the council’s responsibility to find a new home for the hostel.

A mother of a young boy, who is also expecting another baby, was not even aware of the hostel before she moved into Felmores.

She was concerned that the presence of the bail hostel was risking the children in the community being able to grow up properly.

She said: “It makes me very uncomfortable knowing that it is there.

“My child used to go to nursery next to Northlands Park but it just did not feel safe having him there.

“The hostel is stopping our children from growing up. We just do not know what could happen if we are near to it.

“In the park, mums don’t even like to go to the toilet because they are scared of leaving their child alone with that place so close, even though the toilet is just a couple metres away.

“It is damaging this community because we are in such a child orientated area, they could have picked so many better places for the hostel.”

The hostel, owned by the Ministry of Justice’s probation service received a very positive report from HMI Probation in July last year. The report said that inspectors felt that the hostel was doing a “good job overall” and it added that “public protection procedures were exceptionally well managed”.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “Approved premises are essential to managing high risk offenders when they leave prison ensuring they are suitably supervised and monitored, greatly lowering their risk to the public.

“If an approved premise were to close the high risk offenders would still be living in the community but without the added supervision and support they provide.”

Another resident of Felmores, who has lived in the estate for seven years said that he experienced no issues since moving to the area.

He said: “I work nights and have never has a problem in the seven years I have lived her.

“I have heard about there being potential issues I have never experienced anything bad.”

However, following previous incidents in 2011 and 2013 where inmates who had been convicted of sexual offences and burglary have reoffended or become missing, another mother from the estate wants to see the hostel gone.

She said: “I cannot believe the place has been allowed to stay here any longer.

“It is alright being told that they are looking for potential new sites, however, those that say that do not live here and we nee to be listened to more about it.”

The hostel has no plans to be moved. Although the aim of the hostel is to return its inmates to general population, residents still feel threatened.