“Alcohol and drug misuse” led to Mid Devon District Council boarding up the shelter in People’s Park last summer for the second time since 2020, just two months after corrugated iron panels were removed. The structure is in a prominent position in the park, between Exe Valley Leisure Centre and Park Road.
In an update, the council says a committee that looks after the park is “keen to explore a longer-term solution.” Potential solutions including installing CCTV, more bench seating and replacing corrugated iron for material that could be decorated with a mural.
When the structure was boarded up again in September, a spokesperson said it was because of “continued anti-social behaviour including alcohol and drug misuse at all hours,” adding the shelter had been closed again “with great regret.”
Last year local people were asked what they thought should be done with the building. Suggestions included turning it into a café, a toilet block or an outdoor stage. Other options reportedly considered were gates or shutters so the shelter can be closed overnight. In a notice posted on the shelter, said boarding it up is not a long-term option, nor is removing it, so the council has “to work to find solutions to the anti-social behaviour that it has attracted previously if that recurs.”
The committee suggested residents should be encouraged to report anti-social behaviour while it’s happening and to follow-up with police to highlight the situation.
Officers are said to be “working through” the suggestions.
Ollie Heptinstall
LDRS