New industrial unit and associated problems

[Red Wood]

Recently took on an additional unit for a new project on a medium size industrial estate. Next door is a Gym. Not a pure gym type place, more of a down and out place.

Our unit had been empty for some time prior so we've had alot of problems with people parking Infront of pedestrian and shutter entrance. Landlord has just fitted railing, bollards and red hatching marks. Seems to have worked but the gyms customers still walk Infront of our shutter (we have forklifts going in and out) and use it to smoke under in the rain. Not the biggest problem in the world, but what is an issue is the type of clientele. From what I can tell, they all seem to be unemployed roid heads and chavs. General anti social behaviour and littering. Caught 3 or 4 drug deals on our CCTV systems (which we've saved) and some other general stuff that makes the environment not a nice place to be. It is meant to be an industrial site, not an area for people to kick around and be a nuisance.

It turns out almost everyone on the site has complained to the landlords, but as we are directly next door, I'm going down the route of keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

How can we deal with this situation. They are not the type of people I'd like to make an enemy out of, but similarly they are having a negative effect on the staffs general feeling of safety. I am more confrontational and have spoken to the gym owners 'on their level' but the guys in the unit day in day out are softies to be frank and I do worry there could be future problems involving them.

Any advice, what's the best way to handle the situation?

 

[Mr D]

Presumably fencing off an area will not be a viable option?

Can try talking to the people concerned. By the way that's not the tenants it's their customers.
Hire some security - expensive though.

Or simply ignore. Getting angry with them would likely backfire.

 

[Bob Morgan]

Check the Planning Register at the Local Authority for 'Use Classifications' granted with the original Planning Permission. Different Classifications exist for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

 

[Red Wood]

Presumably fencing off an area will not be a viable option?

Or simply ignore. Getting angry with them would likely backfire.

Cant fence area off, unfortunately, but yes, we won't be getting into arguments with them. Think of the worst possible people in the UK, that's the type of people we are talking about.

Check the Planning Register at the Local Authority for 'Use Classifications' granted with the original Planning Permission. Different Classifications exist for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Thanks, I will

 

[IWW Limited]

Could you not rebrand your front facing units as Anti-Drug & ASBO divisional HQ? That should put an end to that, give your staff some pilot shirts and Hi vis. Sorted.

Are you new into these premises and is there any chance of moving? It's the only situation, if it is as you describe, only resolving by one of you moving.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

Could you not rebrand your front facing units as Anti-Drug & ASBO divisional HQ? That should put an end to that, give your staff some pilot shirts and Hi vis. Sorted.

A less extreme alternative, offer free coffee and donuts to local police.

 

[paulears]

If they are prominently younger people, and your lot are er, older. Investigate the high frequency annoyance devices. The commercial ones often put near places where this behaviour happens actually work really well. They just annoy and make loitering in your areas less palatable. Being high frequency it dies off quite quickly with distance but where I live is heavily old person biased but we have ideal football grass outside. I modified one and upped the level. Switching it on produced an instant response, and they kids all tried to find the source - they got close, but couldn't localise it. After that, they didn't come back. You can test it yourself - go to YouTube and search for something like 16KHz tone and see if you can hear it. If you can, try 17, but if you can't try 15 and so on. You will be amazed how you hear nothing yet a younger person in the room will be holding their hands over their ears. Good fun, to be honest, but then depressing when you realise how damaged your own hearing really is. Especially so when they used to always say CD was 20-20,000Hz. Mine now tails off at 14KHz.

 

[bodgitt&scarperLTD]

A less extreme alternative, offer free coffee and donuts to local police.

That might just work. Also some anonymous calls when you see steroids changing hands.

 

[Red Wood]

That might just work. Also some anonymous calls when you see steroids changing hands.

I was thinking about the anonymous calls, but I doubt it would take them a while to work out where it came from. I did a bit of research and it's likely they would only get a slap on the wrist anyway.

 

[cts1975]

What about a temporary fence? The type they use around building sites?
Maybe a few signs advising that a forklift is in use etc.
If anyone asks just say you are protecting them from forklift traffic and delivery vehicles.
Maybe tell them you've seen a few near misses on the CCTV.
The only person who can object is the landlord and my guess is the landlord will know all about the gym folk!