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A community housing centre offering services to ex-offenders and people with drug and alcohol addictions is to be opened just metres from a primary school.
The controversial plan for Legion House in St John’s Road, Margate , has been approved by Thanet District Council, despite a huge number of objections criticising its location.
The hub, which will be opposite Holy Trinity and St John’s CofE Primary School, will offer emergency beds for homeless people, while also providing a place to get support with issues including addiction and mental health.
Centre users will also be able to access help, with life skills, finding accommodation and wellbeing among the many services on offer.
There will be a mix of seven emergency bed spaces and rooms for homeless people, and it will also be a centre for Thanet council’s Rise clients (Rough sleeper Intervention Support and Empowerment).
It will be used by many organisations including probation, substance misuse service the Forward Trust, Porchlight, DWP, the Salvation Army and mental health support.
The plan to convert the building is by Paramount Independent Property Services LLP (PIPS), working with the council and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The location, however, has been described as the worst possible place for such a centre by parents and local residents.
They warn of the possible negative impacts of having such a facility so close to a school.
Holy Trinity head teacher Rob Garrett says he is aware of concerns. Along with senior members of staff and school governors, he met with representatives from Paramount.
“They assured us that a variety of robust measures will be implemented, including comprehensive CCTV and 24-hour staffing on site, for the safety and security of the whole community, including everyone at the school,” he said.
“In addition, they have guaranteed that a thorough, multi-agency risk assessment will be carried out before a client can be housed there and individuals deemed not suitable for the scheme or its location will be accommodated elsewhere.
“PIPS has committed to working with the school going forward to ensure the hub becomes and remains a positive asset to the community.
“The safety and well-being of our pupils, their families and our staff will always be of paramount importance and we will do everything in our power to ensure everyone is safe and secure both on and around the school site.
“Following the meeting, we were reassured that the safety of the pupils, parents and carers and staff would not be put at risk through this development and we are looking forward to enjoying a positive working relationship with PIPS.”
“I have already invited any parents or carers who may still have concerns to contact the school and I will be happy to discuss this with them further.”
Paramount says the building will be staffed 24/7 and have CCTV, with the community hub active during the day between 8am and 9.30pm.
Eight staff will work at the centre, including the scheme manager.
“It is our experience that an on-site scheme manager immediately brings to an end any occurrences of anti-social behaviour that could otherwise arise,” Paramount said in its operational plan.
“These could be things such as a particular occupant’s TV or radio being too loud, or losing their key and being locked outside, or any noise nuisance or disturbance later in the evening.”
The firm says the hub will offer a holistic service which provides the skills and resources to aid a resident’s journey to finding a permanent home, as well as providing other services to those who need them in the community.
Cllr Helen Whitehead, cabinet member for housing and community services, says supporting those who are unfortunate enough to find themselves in the position of being homeless is quite rightly a priority for the community and therefore for the council.
“This project, which will also bring a disused, empty property back into use, is part of a strategy to support single homeless people through holistic, wraparound care that prioritises an understanding of the individual needs of each person,” she said.
“As a community we need longterm, effective approaches to both preventing and ending homelessness within our area.” ; and this requires not only an understanding of the importance of a cohesive approach but also the necessity of this provision.
“Any one of us could become homeless, at any point.
“This happens to our loved ones, our friends, our families; it can happen to us, and I think this is something that we all need to be mindful of when considering how we view this facility and any preconceptions in terms of those who may need its support.”
