A PLAN to open a probation centre which could bring hundreds of criminals to an Oxford street has horrified neighbours.

The Ministry for Justice is in talks to lease offices at Trajan House, in Mill Street, West Oxford.

It could mean up to 350 criminals visiting each week – with workshops for sex offenders and people convicted of domestic violence.

And a storm has erupted because neighbours are not being consulted.

The scheme does not involve a change of use of the building and therefore does not come under planning regulations.

Neighbours only found out about the scheme when an anonymous note was put through letterboxes.

Last night Dan Rawstrone, spokesman for a 50-strong action group set up to fight the plan, said: “It is completely underhand. This proposal is all about a megacentre.

“People are very anxious — it feels that this is a deal that has been done behind people’s backs.”

The idea is to centralise a large part of the county’s probabtion services.

The move has been criticised by Banbury MP Tony Baldry who believes it will “damage offender management” by taking the service away from local areas.

Probation services would be centralised at the new Oxford location, although Thames Valley Probation Service would keep an office in Bicester and create another one in Banbury.

Graham McCartney, assistant chief probation officer for Oxfordshire, said the service needed to find a new office as the lease on its existing Oxford base runs out next March. He said: “If and when I have got confirmation the Ministry has secured the building, I will talk to local residents about their concerns.”

Mr McCartney said the new office could open in a year’s time, and the three-storey building would house just under 100 staff.

Existing probation offices in Abingdon, Cowley and Banbury would be closed. Jobs will be cut, but Mr McCartney said it awas hoped this could be achieved by natural wastage.

Father-of-two Matthew Savage, from Barrett Street, which backs on to Trajan House, said: “We are not keen on having 350 offenders — possibly with convictions for violent or sexual crimes — walking down our street. I am absolutely outraged there has been no consultation on this. There are many elderly people here who are fearful of the sort of people this centre will attract. Everyone is horrified.”

The probation service currently deals with 1,500 offenders in Oxfordshire, 400 of which are in prison.

Mr McCartney said he anticipated about 350 criminals, whose crimes range across the whole spectrum of offending, would be required to report to the centre.

The new building could also host workshops for sex offenders and people convicted of domestic violence.

Mr McCartney said the probation service was not legally required to consult residents because the plan did not involve a change of use for the building.

l Neighbours fighting the plan are holding a public meeting at 4.30pm on Saturday at the Railway Club, Mill Street.

news@oxfordmail.co.uk