THE MAN behind a pioneering rehabilitation centre for young offenders has vowed to press on with plans to take over a Highampton nursing home despite opposition from villagers.

Lt Col Trevor Philpott wants to relocate C-FAR (Centre for Adolescent Rehabilitation) from Okehampton Camp, where it has been operating for a year, to Burdon Grange Nursing Home.

But residents say they will fight all the way to stop the plan going ahead and as soon as the general election is over will launch a campaign.

At a highly charged public meeting last Wednesday they voiced fears about young offenders living in their community and the potential rise in crime, and claimed their house prices would plummet.

Spokesman for the opponents David Richards, who has branded C-FAR, which offers a 'life change' programme to persistent young offenders, a 'holiday camp for criminals', said there was a huge level of concern among the community.

He said according to figures given by the charity's press officer, Richard White, 56.2 per cent of the trainees at C-FAR completed the first part of the programme which was an 11-week residential course of personal development including discipline skills and education and 88 per cent of those completed the nine-month mentoring programme.

'It appears that half of the intake are not really interested and fall by the wayside,' he said.

'This tiny community of Highampton is going to be put at risk by thieves and worse.

'If C-FAR were to move here it would bring about a whole cultural revolution to the area.'

Officers from West Devon Borough Council are currently investigating whether C-FAR's application needs to go before the local planning committee.

The charity claims a legal determination is all that is necessary because it is applying for a residential education and training establishment which comes under the same planning category as a nursing home.

Mr Richards said he commended Trevor Philpott for what he was doing at C-FAR but the middle of a rural community was not the place for up to 80 young offenders.

'Emotions are running very high and I think that is evident by the attendance at the meeting — every adult from Highampton was there,' he said.

But Mr Philpott said he was not put off by the 'heckling and shouting' at the meeting, saying he was not given a full opportunity to talk about C-FAR's work.

'That type of debate does not serve any real purpose apart from allowing individuals to release their pent-up emotions and frustrations,' he said.

C-FAR will be giving a presentation in Highampton Village Hall at 7pm next Tuesday where Mr Philpott said there would be an opportunity to engage in a 'reasonable discussion'.

'We are going to continue pursuing our objectives and we believe it will bring a great deal of positive work and, indeed, money into the area of Highampton and Hatherleigh.'

The charity wants to move to a site with better accommodation and more land, and Burdon Grange, which has 18 acres, is considered ideal. The site has been on the market for two years.

The majority of trainees at C-FAR are those who have resorted to crime to fund drug or alcohol addiction or who have experienced an under-privileged, distressing childhood.

Mr Philpott added: 'I always ask people if they have a son, grandson or nephew, who makes a mistake or is caught up with the wrong people and gets into trouble, where would they rather see them in Portland Young Offenders' Institution or C-FAR.

'I believe this is a social issue for which we all need to take responsibility.'