RESIDENTS in Highampton have lost their battle to prevent a centre for young offenders being set up in the village after planners gave the go-ahead for charity C-FAR to convert a nursing home.

Disappointed opponents, who submitted more than 200 letters to West Devon Borough Council against the scheme to convert Burdon Grange Nursing Home, claim the outcome of the proposal was 'cut and dried' before it went before the planning committee on Tuesday.

Planners voted 5-2 to approve the application which will see the pioneering charity, led by Lt Col Trevor Philpott, move from Okehampton Camp where it has been operating for the last 18 months.

Resident Sandra Howell said Highampton was a place where people could leave doors unlocked and keys in their car but this would all change.

'We have been given no cast-iron guarantees from C-FAR that these young offenders will not be out and about in our community. As a village we will never feel safe again.'

John Cox, who lives 300 yards from Burdon Grange said democracy had failed the residents because the council had not given enough weight to residents' views.

'Ninety six per cent of the village opposed this application but five councillors have over-ridden it,' he said. 'The whole thing was cut and dried before today — it was very disappointing, but not a surprise.'

Speaking at the meeting, resident Jon Eedy said that bringing 24 persistent offenders into the village of approximately 100 people would guarantee crime being introduced into what was presently a 'crime-free village'.

'Persistent criminal offenders living here would do nothing to enhance our village or rural community,' he said. 'Burdon Grange is a mere five minutes' walk from the centre of the village and right on top of a number of houses.'

But the radical work of C-FAR, which is the first centre of its kind in the UK offering a life-change programme to young male offenders, was highly praised by Gordon Blood, who told the committee that the charity had saved his son's life.

He explained how his son Richard had turned to crime to fund his heroin addiction and at one time was very close to death, but after a ten-week course at C-FAR he was now living on his own and was in full-time employment for the first time in his life.

'I am incredibly proud of what Richard has done on the course and what C-FAR has done for him,' he said.

'It is a completely controlled environment run by professionals and thank goodness there are people out there working to give our youngsters a second chance in life.'

Cllr Noel Cartwright said there seemed to be a misapprehension about the risks involved to people from the trainees at C-FAR.

'There has only been one incident when anyone left the premises at Okehampton Camp and they were back in prison that night — such is the strict discipline at that place,' he said.

Fear of crime was the key issue for members to consider, said head of planning Stephen Gill.

He said it was a material planning consideration, but given the evidence of the last 18 months, which saw no increase in crime in Okehampton, officers could find no justifiable reason to refuse the application on these grounds.

Chief executive of C-FAR Lt Col Philpott said he was thrilled that the application had been approved and it was the culmination of four-and-a-half years' hard work.

'I do realise that we still have a long way to go to convince the residents of Highampton but my vision for the future is to see these people working alongside our young men on community projects in the area,' he said.

C-FAR hopes to exchange contracts by the end of November and be up and running in January.

Meanwhile, an alternative plan by opponents to create a rare breeds visitor attraction at Burdon Grange Nursing Home was refused by planners on Tuesday because a traffic impact survey had not been carried out.

Chairman of the Highampton Parish Council Charles Dumpleton said it was still a viable plan and he would be looking for alternative premises in the locality to 'bring something positive to the area'.