Agenda item

9.1

The Chair advised that questions had been submitted in writing from Mr Michael Meredith.  Mr Meredith would receive answers to these questions in writing.

Mr Meredith advised that he still awaited written answers to previous questions submitted.  The Chair assured Mr Meredith that answers would be provided in writing.

(Glynis Chapman) – Questions are around the development of the old site at Knowle Hill formally a Care Home and only today I got a letter as I live across the road from Knowle Hill. It’s says on the local forum that the land should be cleared and redeveloped for 25 spaces for people probably escaping abuse, but here on the letter it says 25 eligible households for people who have become homeless.  It’s a big site, but a household can be one person or four people, is there going to be 100 people on there or just 25 homeless people?

(Councillor Tony Downing) – We were briefed on this a while ago.  It going to 25 single units, temporary accommodation for people waiting for a home, not people coming off the streets, it will be 2 years in the making, it will need to go through the planning process and will go out to public consultation.  It will also have 24-hour people on site, so its not a site that is left open for homeless people to come and go as they please, it will be monitored and 24 hours support.

(Glynis Chapman) – Therefore if it has 24 hours staffing and security, you are expecting problems, I mean why would you have 24 security, if you weren’t thinking something is going to be going wrong, you are putting it  in a place where there is nothing, no bus stop and one shop, nothing else.  25 people/ 25 units if you are leaving for a family place because of abuse, more often than not there are children, are you outing children in there as well, it’s bad planning.

(Councillor Bryan Lodge) – I’m the Co-Chair of the Finance Sub-Committee and the report went through the approval process there last week.  Its one- and two-bedroom units because there maybe people with children, so there will be a number of 2 bedroom and a number of 1-bedroom units in there because of people escaping from abuse and domestic violence, so its supported, its not security, its support for the people who are going through.  Its almost like a step to get them into permanent accommodation.  It was short-term accommodation to help them through.

(Glynis Chapman) - We all know there is a shortage of accommodation, so we all know this temporary could become a lot longer.

(Councillor Bryan Lodge) – This is one the reasons why we are looking to develop it as there is a shortage of temporary accommodation as well and so people are being put into bed and breakfast , which is not an ideal situation in bed and breakfasts or bedsits when there are children.  Its to take some of the pressure on these people and support them.  We do have a responsibility to house people across the council and this is just part of the overall planning of supporting people across the city, but we are continuing to build affordable housing across the city and you have seen the plans.

(Glynis Chapman) - Has planning already passed this, have you already made your minds up?

(Councillor Bryan Lodge) - It will have to go through the planning process.  What happened last week was that the land was appropriated back into the council Housing Revenue Account, it was previously held by SheffCare and they relinquished the lease last year, so its taken a while to bring it back through.  They moved out of it, and it had been subject to vandalised and problems for residents.  We anticipate to be on site soon and use the councils emergency demolition fund, to take the building down and remove the hotspot.  It still has to go through a formal planning process and will go out to formal consultation that the ward councillors and the public will have an opportunity to comment on it.