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Mosquito alarm for community centre
8:02am Thursday 24th May 2007
Comments (10)A MOSQUITO alarm which deters teenagers by emitting a high-pitched noise is to be installed outside a Trowbridge community centre.
The alarm is being brought in for a trial at the Longfield Community Centre because of increasing problems of youths damaging the building and kicking footballs up onto the roof.
The Properties Committee of Trowbridge Town Council agreed on Tuesday to spend £489 to trial the Mosquito Alarm, which can only be heard by those people aged up to about 25.
Sally Boyle, who is the co-founder of performance group Starry Eyes, used to use the centre regularly until funding ran out in October.
She does not believe the alarm is the right way forward.
"I think it's very user-unfriendly. I would have thought the thing to do is make the place user friendly and encourage people to get involved rather than introduce deterrents," she said.
"When we first started there were young people damaging the building and people were finding it a very unfriendly place to go. When we started Starry Eyes all the community got involved and people were proud of their centre.
"It was working well but we had problems with the funding so we weren't able to keep it going there. Now it looks like the centre is going downhill."
She also believes the high-pitched noise might be dangerous to people's ears.
At Tuesday's meeting, Trowbridge Town Council properties manager Bill Austin likened the machine to a human cat scarer' and said although it was aimed at those aged between seven and 17, others would probably be able to hear it.
"We have had problems with people deliberately targeting the building and damaging the tiles. We're not trying to stop them playing football there is a purpose built five-a-side pitch up the road which is open until 9pm," he said.
"It may be an annoyance to those walking along and to visitors and it may be that it is only switched on at night time or from 4pm onwards.
"There are some concerns that it disperses people to other areas but there is a possibility it could be used as a mobile system around the town."
He said that over the last few months a further 64 tiles had been damaged on the building.
Committee chairman Cllr Graham Hedley said: "If we can stop a fraction of that damage it will be worth it."
The rest of the committee voted unanimously to trial the alarm, which will be placed in the community centre car park.
Your Say YourWiltshire Times
puzzled, Trowridge says...
10:58pm Thu 24 May 07
What a pain for famililes living next to the centre with young children needing to get to sleep.
What nonsense!
Cynic, Ex-Melksham says...
3:14pm Fri 25 May 07
anon, westbury says...
4:01pm Fri 25 May 07
Cynic, Ex-Melksham says...
5:15pm Fri 25 May 07
sarah jane newbury, trowbridge says...
9:30am Tue 29 May 07
To that committee chairman,
You know what terrible distress you have caused to hundreds of residents in my group by neither asking for and then ignoring their views when you were given them on several issues.
Sally Boyle and the residents are making intelligent opinions and that is true democracy. The arrogance of so many things is terrible.
Tom told me you have claimed to have been too ill to get a job for years. Is it still true ? If only you would get a job like all of us and let people who first consult residents whose lives can be disrupted before playing at politics. We need sensible people.
Please call me on 01373 822508 after 12.30 if you are ready to apologise for the leaflet that got you re-elected pretending the independents wanted to put up council tax just because we said bins must be a priority and we always made clear we wanted council tax reduced.
I am the kind to forgive yet you would have to start to ask the residents opinions as well. If I thought you had filled your time calling on us and working hard I wouldnt mind but every four years is a farce.
sarah jane newbury, trowbridge says...
9:47am Tue 29 May 07
I am pleased the opinions of Bill Austin, Sally Boyle and the residents are included in the above report.
I have worked for a Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat expert and I am concerned for childrens/adults AND locaL BIRDS, CATS, DOGS, LADYBIRDS, BEES ETC. We all share this planet and I am not and never have been impressed with the committee chairman.
This is yet another illustration of my concern at power going to the wrong hands.
des, Ex- Melksham says...
12:44pm Tue 29 May 07
DM, Warminster says...
2:44am Wed 30 May 07
Will we ever learn or will life always be about satisfying the selfish needs of a whiney minority?
Kids can be annoying, rude and inconsiderate. Like anyone else.
Perhaps we should make it law that everyone must smile, or face the firing squad.
Dreamer, Trowbridge says...
6:37pm Mon 19 Nov 07
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Rollie Cleere, Longfield Estate Trowbridge says...
10:26pm Thu 24 May 07
I feel that if they put the alarm on the building it will cause a nuisance to the residents living near the community centre, they have also had the opportunity to prosecute the perpetrators for causing the damage to the club, the Civic Hall was told of the people doing it, and they have CCTV to back up what information they were given, this was done for them to prosecute the perpetrators at the time of the damage, and to stop further damage to the building, they have not asked any of the residents in the area if they want this, nor were they able to pass comment on the decision, it was not mentioned to the local T.A.R.A (Tenants And Residents Association) on the estate.