Homeless Londoners are set to be housed in newly built developments on the Kent coast.

Lambeth Council bosses looking to cut spending on hotels for residents in temporary accommodation (TA) are in “advanced negotiations” to procure sites in Dover.

They are set to offer “high-quality, family-sized” housing in the town for people from the south London borough.

But one Dover councillor says the district should put its own homeless people first.

This will be the latest in a growing number of sites in Kent acquired by local authorities in London.

Newham Council has this year housed dozens of families in Anchorage House, Chatham, while Redbridge Council previously outbid Canterbury City Council to secure 150 homes for its tenants at a new-build estate.

Now more Londoners look set to be placed in the county.

A report from Lambeth Council’s housing scrutiny sub-committee, which met this week, says: “We are currently in advanced negotiations to procure a number of developments outside of London to meet an identified need within our existing cohort of nightly paid placements.

“This includes newly built developments in Dover and Luton which will deliver high-quality, family-sized accommodation within a reasonable travelling distance of the borough.”

But Cllr Chris Vinson, who is Dover District Council’s (DDC) deputy opposition leader for the Conservatives, told KentOnline: “I think we have a big enough challenge housing people in our own district rather than finding homes for people from Lambeth.

“DDC is already behind in delivering council housing and the last thing we need is extra pressure.”

The Dover district had 483 current homelessness cases from January to March this year - an increase from 275 cases over the period from April to June 2021.

KentOnline previously revealed how councils in the county are now spending twice as much on temporary accommodation as they were five years ago.

DDC forked out £1.1 million in 2022-23, compared to £543,000 in 2018-19.

Lambeth has its own struggles, with 4,284 families in temporary accommodation by last December - the highest among its five immediate neighbours such as Wandsworth and Southwark.

The number also rose from just over 2,500 in 2020.

Three-quarters of TA occupants are in ‘nightly paid’ accommodation; this is self-contained accommodation such as hotels.

The sub-committee report, published for a meeting on July 16, said: “It is expensive and, due to limitations on what housing benefit will pay, on average the net cost to the council for each household in nightly paid accommodation is circa £14,000 per year.

“Lambeth has a higher proportion of TA stock as nightly paid compared to other authorities.”

Latest government figures highlight that, nationally, there were 112,600 households in TA last December - a 12.1% increase since last year and the highest since records began in 1998.

Lambeth Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Danny Adilypour (Lab), is cabinet member for housing, investment and new homes.

He told KentOnline: “There is a huge shortage of both affordable and social housing in Lambeth and across London. This is affecting thousands of people, including in Lambeth.

“This housing is often of poor quality, while also being very expensive.

“We are looking at ways of relieving pressure on the supply of temporary accommodation and providing better quality accommodation. Taking on these extra options will give us opportunities to do that.

“Single people and families who are homeless and need accommodating, and those without strong local connections will potentially be offered housing outside Lambeth under this plan.

“This would in turn increase the amount of local temporary accommodation available for people with strong local connections such as children in critical exam years, as well as saving significant amounts of money.”

It is not yet known how many people would come to Dover from the south London borough, where exactly they would go, when and over what period of time.

Lambeth Council has already obtained a number of newly built developments to use as private-sector leased accommodation, including 82 units in east Croydon.

It is also in advanced negotiations to house people in similar accommodation in Luton.

Dover can be reached from Lambeth by one tube and train.

By car it is exactly 76.8 miles from Lambeth Town Hall to Dover Priory - a one-hour 50-minute journey via the A2 and M20.

DDC has also been contacted by KentOnline to comment and give further details of what it understands of these plans.

Cllr Rob Roche, Luton Council’s portfolio holder for finance, housing, revenues and benefits, said: “We are very concerned that Luton will not be able to cope with extra households from Lambeth. This would obviously have an impact on all our public services, including social care, housing, education and others, and we will be writing to the Leader of Lambeth Council at the earliest opportunity.

“Luton has huge homelessness pressures of its own. We currently have 1,104 households in temporary accommodation and over 130 households in B&B. In addition, over 1,300 asylum seekers have been placed in Luton by the Home Office. Luton Council is struggling to meet its own demand for homelessness support and has limited accommodation available.

“We will be asking Lambeth which temporary accommodation it has secured.”

In a statement, DDC said: “We have been making efforts to contact Lambeth Council to discuss this and are awaiting a response.

“However, it is not unusual for councils to place homeless people in other local authority areas.

“We continue to work hard to help and support local people facing homelessness, including by increasing the number of DDC-owned properties in the area.”