ANNIESLAND residents have vowed to protest a new alcohol and drug rehab centre in the heart of a retirement complex.

Neighbours have rallied together in a bid to fight against the proposal to place recovering addicts who are currently based in Phoenix Futures' Keppochhill Road site into the former nursing home in Munro Court.

During a public meeting held last week, residents hit out at the firm over safety concerns for the elderly people in the surrounding area and demanded the move was scrapped.

A resident, who asked not to be named, told our sister paper, the Evening Times: "We asked how it was safe for children and elderly people in the area?

"We've been around the community and people are angry about it because it's right in the heart of the retirement village. People just don't feel it's safe.

"Phoenix said they can ensure our safety but we don't know how. They won't answer any of our questions."

She added: "We're not saying people shouldn’t get help, we just don't think the location is right.

"People are so angry and you can't blame them. It's a real worry."

The resident group is planning to stage a protest outside the former care home next month.

Their plight has been backed by the area's councillors, with Councillor Paul Carey calling on the service to be move to be scrapped as a "matter of urgency" and promised to take push the issue up the channels.

He said: “It is quite clear that although the community understand there is a need for this facility, they think the location at Munro Court is not the correct location for this service.

"I made it quite clear to Phoenix Future they need to rethink this.

"The community doesn’t want it, the councillors don’t want it and as far as I am concerned it is a matter of urgency this move to Munro Court by Phoenix Futures should be postponed indefinitely.”

However, as previously reported, the Possil centre is expected to move its residential patients to the Anniesland site by mid July.

The rehabilitation firm would not be required to apply for change of use consent as its activities fall under the care home category, meaning it wold not go before Glasgow City Council’s planning committee.

Phoenix chief executive Karen Biggs said she hoped the community would come to accept the centre in time.

She said: "The service we are moving is a service we've been delivering for 25 years.

"We always work really hard to make sure we work well within the community, it's an important thing with us.

"The residents will be assessed before they come to our service and we'll make sure they're suitable for that particular place."

Ms Biggs said those who enter the facility will have already shown a "strong commitment" to their recovery and she emphasised it's not a drop in centre so residents won't be "coming and going".

She added: "We have years and years of experience. We accept that recovery is not easy but we do our very best for the residents and we have a really high success rate."