Homeless people are to benefit from new purpose-built housing in Rochdale after a charity’s plans were given the green light by councillors. A pair of two storey blocks - containing eight and four homes respectively - and two bungalows are to be built on land off Whitworth Road and Grasmere Street, near the town centre.
All 14 ‘self-contained apartments’ - split across three parcels of land - will be available for affordable rent, but are specifically for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness. The scheme will be delivered by Cornerstone Place - a social enterprise with a mission to help end street homelessness in the UK by 2030.
Stepping Stone Projects will provide 24/7 housing management and support cover, including at least one staff member on site to help residents at any one time. The proposals were given a near-unanimous approval at a meeting of the council’s planning committee, despite 11 public objections and concerns being raised on the night over road safety, parking and the potential impact on the community.
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The committee, which met at Number One Riverside, first heard from objector Jim Moran, speaking on behalf of the community. He voiced concerns that a car park facing on to Whitworth Road would be used by residents, visitors and staff, forcing customers of nearby shops to go elsewhere.
“It’s an absolute necessity for the 17 or 18 businesses that use it,” he said. "Without that car park it would not be possible for people to shop there. There are double-yellow lines all the way down Whitworth Road. It’s absolutely essential that it is maintained in its present state.”
He also said the loss of an informal ‘play area’ would leave young children at increased risk from traffic. “Children play in that particular area and there’s nowhere else for them to go and the roads are terribly dangerous as it is because of the traffic there,” he said. “Anything that increases the traffic flow is very, very dangerous for children.”
He added that the community was ‘worried to death’ about the possibility of people with drink and drug problems causing ‘chaos’, having heard of problems at other Stepping Stone properties. However David Ball, of Cornerstone Place, spoke of the ‘massive need’ for the development.
“We are focused on delivering additional social housing specifically for people who are some of the most vulnerable in society,” he told the committee. “In this case, people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness."
He stressed the need for the type of housing proposed, telling councillors latest figures record 283 people in statutory temporary accommodation in Rochdale, 892 ‘open homelessness cases’ and a housing list nudging 8,000 applications. Addressing Mr Moran’s concerns over parking he said Stepping Stone staff would park on-street and that residents would be unlikely to own a car by nature of their circumstances.
“To summarise, there’s a massive need, this is 100 pc social housing [that would be there] into perpetuity. It’s not for private benefit, it’s for the benefit of locals and will be managed by a charity which is dedicated to supporting people.”
Andy Gundry, assistant director of operation at Stepping Stone, told councillors the accommodation would be for ‘low risk’ tenants and each potential resident would undergo a ‘rigorous’ assessment to determine their suitability beforehand.
Councillor Billy Sheerin said it was a difficult decision but Rochdale was ‘desperately in need of this kind of housing’. “The sad truth is there will always be opposition wherever there is a building and houses for homeless people,” he said.
“We must do our bit to get the homeless off the street, because it’s wrong. I see them every time I walk out in the town centre and when I go to Tesco.” The committee voted to grant permission for the scheme by a majority vote. Coun Winkler abstained.
Rochdale council’s planning and licensing committee met at Number One Riverside on Thursday night (September 8).
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