A rehabilitation safe house for former alcoholics and drug addicts has been refused by Planning, despite a petition by more than 400 people.

Kenneth Matthew wanted to provide a stepping stone for the reassimilation of former substance abusers back into society with his Trust Recovery Safe House. But the facility drew more than 40 letters of objection from residents.

Neighbours complained about the "potential for violence", noise and anti-social behaviour, as well as traffic congestion and falling property values. It led lawyer Rick Woolridge Jr., of Peniston and Associates, to accuse some residents of "boogieman scare tactics".

In response to the letters of complaint, 425 people signed a petition of support for Mr. Matthew's centre.

The 'recovery sober safe house', at 15 South Road, Southampton, was to have a "stringent" set of rules whereby all residents must secure a job or enrol in education within 30 days, and then pay a monthly rent.

They also had to be 'sober' on entry, take part in random urine tests, and follow an 11 p.m. curfew. Possession of drugs, alcohol or weapons, and any "disruptive behaviour" was to result in "immediate dismissal".

But in a letter to Planning on February 1, Caron Assan, Director of the Department of National Drug Control, said "there is concern for the safety of the residents in the area as there does not appear to be sufficient safety measures in the programme to mitigate potential risks to the residents"

Mr. Matthew is a former volunteer at Focus Counselling Services and is a Certified Allied Addiction Practitioner and Associate Counsellor of Alcohol and Drugs as certified by the Bermuda Addiction Certification Board.

He founded Trust Recovery five years ago to assist in the rehabilitation of drug addicts.

In a letter to Planning he said the centre would provide an environment in which former addicts could "secure employment, heal relationships, build self-esteem, and ultimately become productive citizens in our community".

In refusing Change of Use from Residential to Social, the Development Applications Board said: "The proposed development fails to conform with the provisions of the Development and Planning (Application Procedure) Rules, 1997, in that insufficient information has been submitted: notably there are no existing minimum standards and guidelines to enable a proper assessment of such a proposal."

Mr. Matthew did not wish to comment when contacted.