THE controversial plan to provide additional bedrooms for homeless people at Warrington’s James Lee House Salvation Army hostel is back before council planners tomorrow.
Officers are recommending it for approval – as they did on two previous occasion the proposal was on the agenda at the borough council’s development management committee.
On both occasions the committee deferred a decision after hearing of a number of objections and because councillors were concerned at the small size of the proposed bedrooms.
But the new application is for six bedrooms, not eight as originally proposed, meaning the rooms can be larger.
Three of the rooms would have windows but three would rely on artificial lighting.
Nine objections have been received to the scheme but three letters supporting the scheme have also been received.
The objectors claim there are an inadequate number of toilets, kitchen and disabled facilities, inadequate staffing and safeguarding and welfare issues.. But supporters of the scheme say the extra bedrooms will make a valuable contribution to meeting the needs of vulnerable people in the borough, with rooms that provide dignhity and privacy.
James Lee House is managed by the Salvation Army and offers supported accommodation for single, homeless people with round-the-clock staffing available. It currently has 54 bedrooms.
There is support for independent living, including support for finding move-on accommodation, life skills, including food preparation, cooking, budgeting and money management and support for individual needs, including health, social care, wellbeing and support services.
Residents do not have to vacate their premises during the day and are able to access the facilities, services and provisions available within the building, including breakfast.
Bedrooms for the homeless scheme back before planners
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3 Comments
I fear these will not be additional beds , rather replacement beds for the ones provided by the excellent staff Room at the Inn. Having seen the plans for these cell like rooms and the level of care planned I feel it is simply an exercise in the social cleansing of the cultural quarter. No doubt the instant this is passed funding for Room at the Inn will be cut , just as the YMCA budget was axed, as they can then deem it unnecessary.
All part of cost cutting -I agree the rati is a fabulous place with caring proactive knowledgeable staff James Lee house is known for negative reasons plus 6 rooms is a waste of time it’s a very temp solution like putting a plaster on what is the point
I see that this option has arisen from the ashes yet again.. As much as there is a need for such accommodation 6 rooms in relation to the number of homeless people requiring help doesn’t even scratch the surface… This appears to be yet another fund exhausting scheme that appears when money needs to be used to insure further funding for another financial year or… when certain councillors wish to advance their status in our town… A synical view possibly but probably not far away from the truth.