Hutt Street Traders Association argues against redevelopment of homeless support service, the Hutt St Centre

Anti-social behaviour will only get worse if the Hutt St Centre is expanded, local traders warn. But the Centre claims the opposite.

• Hutt St Centre lodges plan to expand
• Increased powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in the West End

A traders group is demanding the Hutt St Centre for the homeless halt its redevelopment plans, over concerns they will cause more anti-social behaviour.

But the centre says the works will reduce the problems that some businesses are worried about.

The Hutt St Traders Association is pushing for a new “homeless hub” with a buffer zone around it in the CBD.

It says the Hutt St Centre should relocate into the hub and, in the meantime, cease a bid to redevelop its base of 65 years.

The State Government is funding a business case for a new hub offering housing and medical services for people sleeping rough.

“We don’t support any renovations, any modifications, while all this other work is going on,” traders association secretary Wayne Copley said.

“Anything that intensifies services while the Government works on the hub is totally inappropriate.”

While traders fear the proposed upgrade of the centre is aimed at expanding its services to more people, making anti-social behaviour more likely, Hutt St Centre board chairman Tim O’Callaghan said that was not the case.

The Hutt St Centre plans to expand, to cater for a changing clientele including more women and children. Picture: AAP / Brenton Edwards

Mr O’Callaghan said the project aimed to cater for a changing clientele including more women and children, but not more users overall. He said walls would be knocked down to reconfigure the current “rabbit warren” into more usable spaces, including ones where women and children could have privacy.

Mr O’Callaghan said the front of the building would be “tidied up” with fewer things to sit on, and automatically opening doors would also be added, so clients would be less likely to linger outside.

Mr Copley said traders and residents “all continue to experience the often criminal, public nuisance and anti-social behaviour by opportunistic non-homeless people” whom the centre allowed to use its services.

He said there had been “no drop-off” in anti-social behaviour which was “as bad as it’s always been”.

Mr Copley also accused the centre of not having planning approvals for most of its current services, which Mr O’Callaghan strongly denied.

Mr O’Callaghan said the centre helped both the homeless and others in need, and many traders had expressed their support. He said it was not clear what services a homeless hub would provide, meaning the Hutt St Centre’s work would be needed for years to come and “we’re not going anywhere”.

The redevelopment plans will be made available on the centre’s website on Wednesday. If approved, works would start early next year and take about three months. The centre’s executive is working on how to keep services running during the upgrade.