Pods for rough sleepers could be installed in town centre under plans
Ten sleeper pods and one kitchen and office pod could be built on the corner of Clarence Street and Bridge Street.
The proposed pods behind Bethel Evangelical Church are for “Severe Weather Exposure Provision (SWEP) for the winter period and will support individual adults experiencing entrenched rough sleeping”.
The plan is being led by Bolton Council’s Housing Options Rough Sleeper Team which have said they face an “urgent and ongoing need” for safe housing.
The team is supporting “approximately 11-14 individuals” who are “unable to access any form of emergency or temporary accommodation”.
This may be because of “poor housing histories, including previous evictions” or “complex needs that existing providers are not equipped to manage”.
Bolton Council said they have a ‘long-standing commitment to ensure nobody has to sleep rough’ in the borough(Image: Phil Taylor)
A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “Bolton has a long-standing commitment to ensure nobody has to sleep rough in our borough, and this is especially important as the weather gets colder.
“This scheme helps us maintain that commitment for those that are furthest from a place they can call home, something everyone deserves.
“With the wraparound support, the council, and partners in the charity and voluntary sector will be providing, we are hopeful we can make a real difference to the small number of people that have no choice but to sleep rough.”
The council added that if approved there will be wrap-around support and 24-hour security on the privately owned site, which they hope will be a “short-term stepping stone towards a return to independent living.”
Neighbours will have the chance to comment on the proposal before the end of the month(Image: Phil Taylor)
The units would be supplied by Bunkabin, “a leading manufacturer of prefabricated, self-contained accommodation”.
They said that similar schemes have been “successfully implemented” in neighbouring areas such as Blackburn with Darwen.
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The units there are credited with providing “a safe and dignified stepping stone for individuals with complex needs to re-engage with support services and the housing market.”
In addition, the planning statement said the pods are “not only morally sound” but “also financially beneficial”.
It said that people who experience homelessness for three months or longer “cost on average £4,298 per person to NHS services, £2,099 per person for mental health services and £11,991 per person in contact with the criminal justice system”.
The patch of land lies behind Bethel Evangelical Church(Image: Phil Taylor)
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In addition to this the cost of housing “is significant, with an average cost of £22k per person annually”.
The pods are estimated to save “£27,348 per person to front line public services alone” with a “conservative 60% success rate”.
Any comments on the application as part of a consultation should be submitted online before October 29, using Bolton Council’s planning website.
Source – INDIA TV
