New premises found for alcohol recovery centre

Businesses in the Hill Street area of Leicester have been invited to find out more about city council proposals to create a new alcohol recovery centre there.

Deputy city mayor Cllr Rory Palmer invited businesses in the streets close to the proposed location to attend one of two meetings at City Hall.

The building identified for the new centre was formerly used by the City Council as a base for drug and alcohol treatment services. The Council’s public health team will submit a planning application next week to convert it into a recovery centre.

The Council currently operates an alcohol recovery centre from the Anchor Centre on Dover Street. However the building used is no longer fit for purpose and the Council has been looking for new premises for more than a year.

If planning permission is given, the Hill Street building will be refurbished to house a range of services and activities to help drinkers improve their physical and mental health, and learn new skills.

These will include medical facilities; a kitchen where services users can develop life skills such as cooking; an IT suite where users will be helped to find accommodation, training and employment opportunities; and spaces to provide psychological and other kinds of support to help with recovery from addiction.

Deputy city mayor Cllr Rory Palmer said: “Like many other large cities Leicester has a number of street drinkers who do not respond to the usual treatment services.

“But there is growing evidence that with the right support, people with significant alcohol problems can make changes to the way they live their lives.

“The new centre will provide an environment where we can put into practice new ways of working which will increase the likelihood of change and recovery for this group of people.”

The Council has been working in partnership with Inclusion Healthcare to provide a new recovery centre, and has been looking for premises over the last year.