Homeless hostel plan faces objections in Hungerford
A former old people's home could be used to house homeless
Plans to turn a former old people’s home in Hungerford into a homeless hostel have been recommended for approval by West Berkshire Council.
Planners meet next Wednesday to discuss the scheme at Chestnut Walk – widely considered unpopular in the town with fears of loitering, smoking and antisocial behaviour.
Twenty-three people have written to the council fearing who will be accommodated (such as victims of domestic abuse) and that property values would be diminished.
Thames Valley Police has also objected to the council’s own plan to change the use of its building, saying the single main entrance presents problems, adding the number of doors would make access difficult to control.
It says access controls relating to visitors, post and deliveries must be considered
The council says robust management, safeguarding and risk assessment procedures would be in place, including ongoing monitoring, welfare checks and regular reviews.
The council says it would work closely with Thames Valley Police and other partner agencies to ensure risks are effectively managed, with experienced on-site staff responsible for resident welfare, behaviour management and site security.
Any resident who failed to comply with the requirements of their placement or whose behaviour presented a risk to others may be required to leave the facility, which would initially operate with a 24-hour on-site staff presence.
During daytime hours, housing service staff would provide housing management, resident support, welfare monitoring and tenancy-related services, while outside these hours a member of staff or contracted security personnel will remain on site to provide supervisory oversight.
The individual on duty during silent hours would monitor access to the building, respond to incidents, oversee activity within the accommodation, ensure compliance with house rules and act as an immediate point of contact where issues arise.
Shared facilities, such as the communal kitchen, would be managed through controlled opening and closing times.
The council considers the provision of round-the-clock on-site supervision an important measure to support the successful establishment and effective management of the accommodation,
Hungerford Town Council has listed a string of objections to the scheme, saying a high-density hostel of predominantly younger single people conflicts with the established residential nature of Chestnut Walk.
It questions how the proposed scheme would assist community cohesion, saying the occupants will likely be from West Berkshire as a whole, not only Hungerford, adding that it is uncertain how the development would be managed.
The development would comprise 12 self-contained bedrooms with the ability to vary the internal accommodation in the future to allow for additional family units if required.
A maximum of 16 residents would be accommodated.