Lintrathen residents were unimpressed by an “amateurish and imprecise” performance given by key figures behind plans for a drug and alcohol rehab unit there.
Two directors and the operations manager of the proposed unit came to Kilry village hall on Wednesday night, hoping to assuage community fears, but the villagers appeared far from convinced by the answers given to their questions.
“We don’t have horns we’re not devils,” began Renaissance People director Allan Colquhoun before explaining his team’s vision for the former restaurant and bar in the hamlet’s centre, Lochside Lodge.
He described how the company was “created in response to a need we’ve identified” to supply rehab beds for those recovering from drug and alcohol dependence.
Residents wanted to know what alteration plans were in place for the lodge, how many patients it would hold, and what benefits it would bring to the community.
Mr Colquhoun and fellow director Carol Mackie said there would be no structural changes but there might be plans to build a fence around the property.
They said it would accommodate up to 10 patients, and the community could “maybe take them on as a volunteer workforce.”
Mr Colquhoun was not certain what job opportunities there would be for Lintrathen residents.
Many residents made points against the proposal, and the Renaissance People representatives appeared harassed and tetchy.Drug dealer fearsWhen asked about plans to ensure patients at the unit do not leave, Carol Mackie who assured residents that she would live at the unit “24/7” said, “If someone leaves in the middle of the night there’s b****r-all I can do about it.”
Blairgowrie GP Morag Martindale said drug dealers in the town “are probably rubbing their hands together” at the prospect of the unit opening in Lintrathen.
She also stated she “did not want a social experiment, not based on good clinical evidence” to take place in her community.
Jackie Johnston, the operations manager for Renaissance People, repeatedly said the people coming to the unit would be volunteers and that the unit was for “rehabilitation, not detoxification,” adding that there had been an “error” on the website when it earlier said Lintrathen Lodge would be used as a detox centre.
Solicitor Allison Burns said she was aware of “more than 20 legitimate objections” to the proposal and she “would be happy to talk to anyone” about their objections.
One resident congratulated the firm for “bringing the community together” against the plan.’People don’t like this’Another said, “People don’t like this.
“Here, people have a way with mischief.”
When asked if that was a threat by Mr Colquhoun, the villager said he was merely “explaining what this place is like.”
A lady proposed that the villagers club together and buy the old school and turn it into a country pub, to thwart the company’s aim of being away from any temptation for its clients.
Her idea was met with cheers.
With the residents’ objections in mind, Mr Colquhoun was asked if the company would quit its plans if planning permission were denied to the project.
He said he believed the company would appeal if the decision went against it.