Homeless pod to be built near Kendal railway station
It'll provide temporary accommodation to homeless people “in emergencies”
Westmorland and Furness Council has approved a permanent “homeless pod” near Kendal railway station.
The applicant for the pod was Manna House, a homeless shelter in Kendal, located at Stephenson Centre.
The pod sits outside of the shelter and provides temporary accommodation to homeless people “in emergencies”.
Despite the application saying it is a “temporary pod”, it is intended to be a permanent fixture.
During the meeting to determine approval, held on September 4, councillor Rupert Audland, vice chair of the planning committee, said it was temporary in the sense that “if you were in it, you wouldn’t want to be there forever”.
The planning officer further clarified that it was considered temporary as in “it is not concreted in the ground, it can be taken away”.
This would mean that any “like for like” replacements in the future would not need planning permission.
Two temporary permissions were previously sought by and granted to the homeless shelter.
According to council documents: “Due to a lack of reports of significant antisocial behaviour… a permanent permission (i.e. not time restricted) is considered appropriate.”
As part of the planning process, the council consulted Cumbria Police.
A statement from a Cumbria Police officer, contained within the council report, reads: “I have contacted the supervisor of the Neighbourhood Policing Team that patrols this area for her views on this proposal.
“The management procedures for the pod continue to be effective and, presently, the pod does not generate disproportionate calls for service.”
The report said: “Manna House provides support for homeless people, and the site is located within an area of Kendal where there may be low-level antisocial behaviour
“It is not possible to determine whether there has been a significant uplift in antisocial behaviour due to the installation of a single homeless pod in the forecourt/ parking area of the building.”